Fall 09 Barnard Bulletin Issues

BARNARD

BULLETIN volume cxviii. issue 1.

September 2009

Are you a global citizen?

inside:

Your Country is the World Photo Essay: Trying to Be Lost in India Is the U.S. Moving Toward a More Perfect Union?

Self-Protection in Egypt

and Tips on Living in New York City

orientation issue

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

While thumbing through back issues of the

Three years ago, I arrived at BarBulletin in preparation for this semester’s inaugural isnard an unnerved first-year. The very next sue, I stumbled across something shameful: my first confall, I, a disparaging sophomore, escaped tribution. “Let Virgins be Heard” (no, I’m not kidding) to London for a semester. The decision to had no confidence, no cogent argument, and apparently go abroad was less rational than romantic, no input from my section editor. My 700-word vow to based largely on vague notions of moors embrace prudishness and purity was accompanied by a and charming accents issuing from tweedphoto of everyone’s favorite virgin, Jessica Simpson. clad bodies. I don’t know that I challenged

Things have changed since the fall of 2006. myself those months, living in a city so The Bulletin and I have grown up and gained confisimilar to New York and packed with mildence, though we both remain works in progress. The lions of English-speakers. magazine has matured into a publication that does not

Inevitably, though, I did learn a sidestep controversy or its perennial detractors; it relays bit, and am always learning from that sethe voices of our college through an evolving editorial mester. I wonder whether an academic process that strives to give writers autonomy. Any emterm, or a month, or even a minute can barrassing self-disclosures are now fully intentional. contain that curious process of learning.

The Bulletin recognizes that there is no uniform “BarDon’t we build upon what knowledge and nard voice.” We welcome a wide variety of content. This experiences we already have? Don’t I base Emma, world traveler, exploring issue features everything from the thought-provoking future decisions on a collection of memoPortobello Market in London centerpiece on global citizenship to a senior’s tongue-inries and ideas, including those from that this past summer cheek lamentation of her liberal arts education. semester abroad?

As long as you have a working brain in your skull, you

The Bulletin wants not only readers, but also writers and artists. have the chance to experience and wonder at places, people, and The New York Times provides “all the news that’s fit to print,” but where’s the fun in that? Take a chance and contribute something “unfit” (although ideas. You have the chance to question the peculiar notions you have. Read Margaret Herman’s article on page 7, for instance, our excellent crop of editors ensures that “unfit” is not synonymous with and consider how tenuous those notions can be in the face of typos, misquotes, or inappropriate photos of Jessica Simpson in her daisy genuine learning, how shakeable your preconceptions really are. dukes) to the Bulletin. A few years from now, when you look back on your early work you might cringe, laugh, or cry, but you will see just how much And I hope, in reading this issue, you will glimpse how very much learning about the world—and your own mind—there is to a few years at Barnard can change you. be done, always.

Yours, Rebekah Kim Emma Brockway Co-Editor-in-Chief Co-Editor-in-Chief Editorial Board Co-Editors-in-Chief Emma Brockway, ’10 Rebekah Kim, ’10

Politics & Opinion Editor Nancy Elshami, ’10

Management Head of Finance Nelly Davcheva, ’10

Assistant Art Director Mabel McLean, ’12

Arts & Entertainment Managing Editor Meagan McElroy, ’10

Editor Sophia Mossberg, ’12

Advertising Manager Iffat Kabeer, ’11

Web Designer Diana Windemuth, ’11

Editor-at-Large Chisato Sakamoto, ’10

New York City Living

Chief of Distribution Stefie Gan ’12

Front Cover Art

Editor Emeritus Alison Hodgson, ’10 Features Editor Hayley Panasiuk, ’11

Editor Samantha Greenberg, ’11 Art Director Jacqueline Meyer, ’10 Head Copy Editor Gillian Adler, ’10

Please note that the opinions expressed by individual authors are not necessarily reflective of the Bulletin Staff.

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Production Associate Editors Daliya Poulose, ’12 Gabriella Stern, ’11 Margaret Herman, ’11 Melissa Lasker, ’10

Jacqueline Meyer

Back Cover Bree Polk-Bauman, ’10

Do you want to support the Barnard Bulletin?

Donatons are payable to: Barnard Bulletin 3009 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Want your artwork on the back? Please submit it by e-mail to backcover@barnardbulletin.com.

Contents Features

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6 6 7

8 9 20

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Bear Essentials SGA Letter Conquering the Minutia Playing Historical Characters, Lear ning Moder n Lessons Summer Food Roundup Regretting Liberal Ar ts Alumna Letter Archive Page

Politics & Opinion

10

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You Can’t Stop Them, But You Can Protect Yourself Is the U.S. Moving Toward a More Perfect Union?

Centerpiece

12-13

Your Country is the World

Arts & Entertainment

14 15 16 16

Photo Essay: Trying to Be Lost in India Painting Gotham Red: A&E Skylights 5Pointz: Your Friendly, Neighborhood Graffiti Gallery Quidditch: A Game Mere Muggles Can Play

NYC Living

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18

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Restaurant Review: Delicatessen in SoHo Cheap Eats Around Campus: A Primer for First-Years Les Étrangers A Frugal Guide to New York City Living

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BEAR ESSENTIALS This column, prepared by the Office of the Dean of Studies, will include announcements of importance for Barnard students. Please read it regularly to learn about requirements, services, opportunities and meetings that may be of interest to you.

SPRING 2009 DEFERRED FINAL EXAMS will be administered on Friday, Sept. 11. If you received the required approvals for a deferred final, please consult the Registrar’s Office web site for the scheduled time and location.

FALL 2009 PROGRAM FILING DEADLINE is Friday, Sept. 18.

Information about procedures is on the Registrar’s Office web site; it will also be sent to your campus mailbox. Please allow plenty of time to discuss your program with your adviser and to obtain his/her approval prior to the deadline.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AP OR IB CREDIT must have an official report of the test scores sent directly to the Registrar’s Office by the testing organization. The Registrar will process and evaluate the scores in order to determine whether credit and/or exemption may be awarded, and students who receive credit will be able to see the credits on their eBear transcripts. For any questions about AP or IB credit, contact the Registrar’s Office or Dean Hollibaugh. The Barnard code for AP scores is 2038.

THE WRITING CENTER opens on Sept. 22: Located at 18 Milbank, the Writing Center is a place where Barnard students in all disciplines can come to talk about their writing. Columbia students enrolled in courses taught by Barnard faculty are also welcome to discuss their writing for these Barnard courses. The Writing Center is staffed by Barnard’s trained peer tutors, the Writing Fellows. All staff members are seasoned readers of undergraduate writing across the curriculum. For further information, including how to sign up for appointments, please visit the Writing Fellows website: www.barnard.edu/writing. Questions should be directed to either Pam Cobrin, Director of the Writing Program (pcobrin@barnard.edu) or Ditty Vick, Senior Writing Fellow, Writing Center Administrator (jvick@barnard.edu).

UPCOMING PRELAW EVENTS (open to all Barnard and Columbia students): Prelaw Informational Session (Barnard students only): Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Ella Weed (Milbank 223). Dean Kuan Tsu will be on

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hand to explain the process of applying to law school for the 20092010 application cycle.

Harvard Law School Information Session: Wednesday, September 23, time and location to be determined. Cassandra Williams, Associate Director of Admissions at Harvard Law School, will offer insight into Harvard’s admissions process.

Chicago, Michigan, and U. Penn Visit: Wednesday, Sept. 30, time and location to be determined.

Admissions Deans will discuss the application process to their respective schools.

Cornell, Duke, NYU, and Stanford Visit: Monday, Oct. 5, 6-7:30 p.m., location to be determined. Admissions Deans will discuss the law school admissions process generally and talk about their respective schools in a panel discussion format.

Law School Fair: The annual Barnard-Columbia Law School Fair will take place on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, in Lerner Hall. Representatives from a large number of U.S. law schools will be available to answer your questions and provide you with important information about their individual schools. The fair will be preceded by a panel of law school experts speaking on admissions, law school curriculum, and the legal profession, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., location to be determined.

STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION SESSION: Are you just beginning to consider a semester or year abroad? Come learn the basics from Dean for Study Abroad Advising Gretchen Young. Tuesday, Sept. 22, 5-6 p.m., in 304 Barnard Hall, and Wednesday, Sept. 30, 12-1 p.m., in 328 Milbank.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY ABROAD: Would you like to apply for a scholarship to study abroad? For those who are eligible (students currently receiving Pell Grants), there will be a Gilman Scholarship Information Session on Thursday, Sept. 24, 12-1 p.m. in 227 Milbank and on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 5:30-6:30pm in 214 Milbank. There will be a general Study Abroad Scholarship/Fellowship Information Session on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 12 to 1 p.m. in 227 Milbank.

BEAR ESSENTIALS TUTORING PROGRAM: If you are an upper-level student (i.e, sophomore or higher) who has taken and excelled in Biology BC 1500 or Economics BC 1003 or BC 1007 and you are interested in working as a Fall 2009 tutor for the Dean of Studies Office’s Academic Assistance Program, please e-mail Paula Hercules at phercules@barnard. edu as soon as possible and provide her with: 1) your full name, 2) class year, 3) e-mail address, 4) cell phone number, 5) the name of the course you’re interested in tutoring, 6) information on when you completed that course (e.g., Fall 2008) and 7) the grade you received in the course.

Forms to request a peer tutor through the Academic Assistance Program should be available no later than the beginning of the third week of classes. Students who are interested in receiving tutoring, as well as students who are interested in becoming tutors, will receive an e-mail notifying you when the applications forms are available. The Academic Assistance Program offers tutoring in specific biology, chemistry, math, economics, and language courses. Tutoring will be provided in small groups of 2-3 students, once a week, for two hours per week.

THE BARNARD COLLEGE PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE welcomes you to a new semester! We provide comprehensive primary care for all registered Barnard students through walk-ins and appointments. Walk-in students are seen in our Urgent Care service on a triage basis. (The sickest students are seen first.) For non-urgent care, it’s a good idea to make an appointment whenever possible. Appointments are necessary for any medication refills, including contraception. We look forward to helping you stay healthy at Barnard; please call us at 212-854-2091 with any questions.

BC PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE CLINICIAN ON CALL: The Primary Care Health Service Clinician-On-Call, (866-966-7788) provides medical advice for urgent situations that occur outside of Primary Care Health Service open hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5p.m. You can call the Clinician-On-Call anytime the Primary Care Health Service is closed during the academic year, including Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks. (It is suspended during the summer break.)

FREE FLU SHOTS will be available for students in the Primary Care Health Service in the fall—days and times to be announced. Students with chronic illnesses are especially encouraged to get a flu shot!

Please note: the Primary Care Health Service will offer H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination to students as soon as it is available.

PARENTAL LOSS SUPPORT GROUP: This group is for any student who has lost a parent recently or in the more distant past. This group explores ways in which the loss of a parent has had an impact on your life in large and small ways. You don’t need to feel sad or depressed to join this group, just curious about your life now. If you are interested in joining the group please call 854-2092 to make an appointment to speak briefly with Forbes Singer, PhD, group facilitator. We meet Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m., in the Furman Counseling Center Conference Room.

LISTENING HOURS: Welcome to the new semester. As the fall term progresses, keep in mind that the Furman Counseling Center offers an evening residence hall walk-in service. No appointment necessary! If you’d like to talk out whatever is on your mind in a supportive space, drop by one of our Listening Hours. We’ll help you sort it out. Listening Hours are open to all Barnard students. Beginning late September,

Listening Hours will be held on Tuesdays in Plimpton Hall, 7-9:30 p.m., and Thursdays in Elliott Hall, 7-9:30 p.m.

FURMAN COUNSELING CENTER OFFERS MINI-COURSES: 1 hr/week for 3 weeks. Times/dates to be determined. If interested, call 212-854-2092 for more information.

ROMANTIC WELLNESS: Romantic Well-being Class. Barnard prepares you to be successful in so many ways—why not learn how to have healthy romantic relationships here, too? Furman Counseling Center will offer a two-session class, each semester, on romantic well-being.

SMART EMOTIONAL LIVING: Achieve greater success in all areas of your life--academic, relationships, career--by learning tools to work with your emotions. Emotions can be a source of wisdom and empowerment, or can be destabilizing and destructive. It all depends on how you manage them. Learn skills to make your emotions work for you!

STUDENTS IN RECOVERY: Being a student and being in recovery can be a challenge, but it can also be an exciting and rewarding experience. This group offers support to students who are at various points in their recovery process. Open communication is facilitated by a comfortable and nonjudgmental environment in which students can share their experiences, frustrations and successes. Group Leader: Hilary Colenso, PhD. Contact hcolenso@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2128.

DAUGHTERS OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE USERS GROUP: If you grew up in a household with a parent who abused alcohol or drugs, you are not alone. According to a recent study by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, one out of four people comes from a home where one or both parents abuse alcohol or drugs. Although now in college, many students continue to deal with problems at home—their own feelings of anger or guilt, concern about siblings, or the demands of parents. This group offers a safe and confidential place to discuss these and other concerns with other students who really understand. Group Leader: Hilary Colenso, PhD. Contact hcolenso@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2128.

STUDY ABROAD AND INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FAIR: Barnard and Columbia invite you to the annual Study Abroad Fair on Friday, Oct. 2, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall.

STUDENTS INTERESTED IN STUDYING ABROAD: As you begin to consider studying abroad, we encourage you to obtain a passport, if you do not already have one. International students are encouraged to speak with Dean Ani Bournoutian about the impact of studying abroad on their visas. To schedule an appointment, please call 212-854-2024 or stop by the Dean of Studies Office, 105 Milbank.

ALL NEW PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS: If you are a pre-health student (i.e., pre-med, pre-dental, pre-nursing, pre-vet, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, or other), please make sure to ask Paula Hercules, the Pre-Professional Administrative Assistant in the Dean of Studies Office, to add you to the office’s pre-health listserv so that you may receive future notices of important and relevant events. To be added to the listserv, simply e-mail Ms. Hercules (phercules@barnard.edu), tell her you would like to be added, and provide her with your current Barnard e-mail address.

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Student government association

by Katie Palillo

The Student Government Association (SGA) wishes a warm welcome to all the first-years, and a rousing welcome back to all returning students. We hope that you had a relaxing, productive summer and you are looking forward to an exciting and eventful school year.

Changes abound this fall as we commence our semester. The newly re-launched Athena Center for Leadership Studies will provide students with the opportunities to explore leadership and power through new courses and challenging internships. The Diana Center is nearing the end of its construction, and I know we are all eager to move into our new student center. As the year begins, SGA continues its work with the administration to facilitate these transitions and prepare for the changes to our campus.

So how does your student government serve you? The SGA is comprised of an executive board, a representative council, class councils, and policy committees. The organization is designed to meet your needs entirely. If you want to introduce a new club, start a fundraiser, suggest new coffee flavors in the dining hall, establish peer tutoring, have an idea for the curriculum, or if you’re interested in discussing housing, library services, counseling, security, construction on campus, or financial aid: we exist to enhance your Barnard experience.

SGA is focusing on initiatives for 2009-2010 that both are a continuation of last year’s goals and include the ambitions of our new council. These include:

-Building campus community during The Diana construc- tion -Preparing for The Diana Center’s opening -Increasing transparency of SGA to the student body -Expanding the “international experience” on campus -Incorporating student input into the Athena Program

Your council is a diverse group of students: we are RAs, members of sororities and fraternities, admission representatives, tour guides, volunteers, and international students. Our multi-perspective council allows us to reach out to many students, and we are always looking for more input. SGA is extremely proud of the connection we maintain between the students and administration: it is with your help that we address relevant and immediate concerns. We welcome all students to our weekly rep council meetings, from 8 to 10 p.m. on Monday nights in the Marion Weber Lounge (118 Reid). Your suggestions and comments can be sent to sga@barnard.edu, and representatives are always eager to answer questions in the SGA office (239 Brooks). Elections for the first-year class council will be held at the end of September, and appointments for positions on policy committees will open as soon as classes begin.

Best of luck in the upcoming school year, we look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katie Palillo is a Barnard senior and SGA president.

Conquering the Minutia

by Caitlyn Levin

While the orientation activities throughout campus and the city are perfect for acclimating you to the Columbia University environment, simple things get overlooked. For example: How do I do my laundry? Which setting should I use on the dryer to keep my socks from shrinking so small, they’d hardly fit my 6-week-old sister? Where can I buy shampoo that doesn’t cost $10 a bottle? Well, friends, I am here to tell you all about that and much more.

Laundry: To do your laundry at Barnard, you’ll need to get a laundry card in the Sulzberger lobby, to the left of the main desk.

Your first card will cost $10, but it will only be worth $5. The card is reusable, however, and if you don’t lose it, you’ll be using the same one for your entire Barnard career. Think of it as a $1.25 annual service fee. Not so bad.

Now, each load of laundry will cost $1.25 to wash, and $1.25 to dry. I highly recommend washing things in cold water, because then you don’t have to sort your clothes by color— you can just dump it all in and go! When you dry it, make sure you know what shrinks and what doesn’t. For example, does your mom dry your jeans? If not, they might shrink

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when you dry them, so give your mom a call before you get your dry on. Also, never pick the highest setting on the dryer, unless you want those tiny socks we talked about before.

You can also save some money by drying two loads at once. Did you know that if you stick your laundry card in the slot while it’s running and hit the button again, you can add an extra twelve minutes to your cycle for a quarter?

Try it, and you can do two loads for $1.50.

Inexpensive Supplies: Everything in the city probably costs more than what you’re used to paying. There are two grocery stores right near campus (Morton Williams and Westside Market), but both are going to be a bit overpriced. Besides, all first-years are on unlimited meal plans! Take advantage of that, and be careful not to spend too much money on food—it all adds up. I recommend building a list of items that you need, and once you’ve got a handful of intended purchases, take your list over to Target and grab them all at once. Take the 1 train uptown (right outside of the Barnard quad gates) up to 225th street in the Bronx, exit the train, and turn right and you’ll be at a Target. You’ll know when to get off the subway because you can literally see the blessed red sign from the train. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to

get on a Duane Reade mailing list. This way, the store will send you emails that list sales.

MetroCard: MetroCards are necessary for taking buses and subways in the city, and you can get them at any of the automated machines in subway stations. I recommend buying the cards in increments of 20, because they give you a 15 percent bonus when you do. For example, if you put in $20, you’ll get a MetroCard worth $23. Put in $40 and you’ll get a card worth $46, and so on. Also, think about where you’re going and how many people are going there with you. Sometimes it might actually be cheaper to split a cab.

Earning Cash: The easiest, fastest way to make money is through the Barnard Babysitting Agency, located on the second floor of Elliott Hall. To join, you will need to attend an orientation. After you become a member, you will have access to the Agency’s binders, which are divided into weekend jobs, sporadic jobs, and regular jobs. You’re free to look through the binders whenever the Agency is open. The pay rate ranges from $13 to $20 per hour, with the average falling around $15 per hour.

Caitlyn Levin is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin copy editor.

Playing Historical Characters, Learning Modern Lessons

by Margaret Herman

“Yo, can the Qassamites protect me? I have to step down as President of the Supreme Muslim Council and they will likely want to arrest me,” read a text message from the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, the leader of the Palestinian Arabs, to Jamil Abu Zeitoun, another Palestinian Arab nationalist. Although sent in April 2009 in New York City, this message concerns rural Palestine in May 1937. Such is the experience of students in Reacting to the Past, a unique course in which they become the actors in the historical events they are studying.

Professor Mark Carnes of the history department created the course in 1995 as a “radically different alternative” to traditional lecture courses. Reacting to the Past, which is now offered as both an advanced history course and a First-Year Seminar, flips the teachercentered educational model on its head. In this class, students assume historical roles with varying interests and objectives, and are allowed to speak, testify, and argue, with minimal input from the professor.

Each course is a “game,” ranging from the trial of Puritan dissenter Anne Hutchinson in 17th-century Massachusetts to the Indian struggle for independence in the 1940s. In this class a student is not just learning history, he or she has the ability to change it.

According to Professor Carnes, in addition to “promoting deep critical thinking, teaching speaking and writing skills and stimulating engagement with other people and ideas,” the course also “builds community,” allowing students to bond while working as teammates.

Reacting to the Past becomes more than a 75-minute course twice a week; the course carries over into Facebook posts, text messages, and late-night coffee jaunts to Java City.

Often, Reacting to the Past requires students to check their political correctness at the door. “Professors sometimes sanitize a conflict in order to avoid painful debate,” says Natasha Gill, a Reacting professor. “Students are pushed beyond the bounds of political correctness to articulate positions that are at odds with their beliefs and even offensive to them.”

While some of the courses games cover ancient issues, a new game in development, tested in a Spring 2009 course, takes place in 1930s Palestine during the British Peel Commission and the beginning of the Zionist movement. As a result, this game addresses controversial issues still in the world’s consciousness. With such contentious issues being discussed, students were and are more likely to enter Professor Gill’s “game” with pre-conceived notions of which side is the “right” side. “I came in here saying, ‘I’m Jewish and I know the Jewish side.’ But [I] learned about both sides,” said Emily Alpern Fisch, BC ’11. Many students, like Ruthie Fierberg, BC ’10, entered the class with the hopes of finding the answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I came in saying, ‘This is the perfect place to figure it out because Reacting always figures it out. I thought we were going to solve the conflict,” she explains. “Even though the British and the Zionists won in the end, I still don’t feel like anyone won.”

What matters most in the course is that students have the opportunity to question frequently unchallenged beliefs and assumptions. Professor Gill points out that Reacting enables enrollees to “hear a multiplicity of voices and currents of opinions.… Instead of being asked to “hear” their enemy, which sometimes provokes a very defensive reaction, they are asked to become their enemy: this plunges them into the experience of the ‘other’ in a way that is transformational, and simply not possible in a traditional classroom format.”

At the end of the semester, many students realize just how much their perspectives have changed. “After this game, I looked at myself and said, ‘Hold on. Who am I? This is totally against anything I’ve ever thought.’ This game really put this conflict and history into perspective,” said Reni Calister, BC ’11.

Students also come away with the knowledge of just how little difference there is between the two sides of a conflict. “Switch out a few words from the Palestinian side and you’re on the Zionist side,” Jordan Hirsch, CC ’10, says of the competing narratives. “Reacting” teaches students how understanding both sides of a conflict can create the possibility to move toward resolution. Now, if only Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could take “Reacting to the Past”…

Margaret Herman is a Barnard junior and Bulletin associate editor.

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SUMMER FOOD ROUNDUP And Why Your Greens Might be a Little Less Green

by Alison Hodgson

Those returning to Barnard from a long summer vacation (or perhaps the increasingly popular staycation) will find their supermarket greens a little less green. As the interminable heat shortens our food’s shelf life, a rush of negative press hastens to change the life expectancy of our nation’s industrial food giants.

“Pro-choice” took on a whole new meaning this summer as a slew of food-related media coverage created frenzy at dinner tables across the nation. The news: our food isn’t what it seems to be. Food, Inc., a fiery documentary, reveals America’s food industry to be a fastidiously pieced facade.

The film’s release once again thrust Michael Pollan, the renowned food author-activist, into the spotlight; Pollan’s 2006 Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Natural History of Four Meals has experienced a recent resurgence in popularity. The book follows four varyingly sustainable repasts from production to consumption, highlighting the role government and corporations play in choosing America’s diet. Pollan’s more recent In Defense of Food

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(2008) builds on the questioning in Omnivore’s Dilemma, asking not “What am I eating?” but rather “What should I be eating?”

The answers to these questions are both simple and complicated. In Defense, Pollan suggests, “Eat food. Not too much.

Mostly plants,” and recommends consuming things with under five ingredients (an indicator that food is not over-processed). In a May interview with DemocracyNow, after his “under five” tip had been manipulated by advertisers into a marketing campaign, Pollan followed up with “simply don’t buy any food you’ve ever seen advertised,” suggesting that the corporate foods are to blame for our health and weight problems.

The way that the industrialization of our food industry affects consumers is perhaps the timeliest issue. While some reviews attribute Food, Inc.’s success to its emotional depiction of animal cruelty in factory farms, the grotesque footage is a brief interruption of the film’s otherwise rational appeal to viewers. For a generation used to the shock-andawe PETA approach, the logical arguments presented by the documentary are far more appealing. Chicken farm owners dragged into debt by large (and well-known) companies and soybean farmers cornered into a genetically homogenous system bring the element of human rights into a previously animal rights- and sanitation-based argument. Food,

Inc. and The Future of Food (a 2007 film that is available to watch on Hulu.com) both document the legal perils of soybean farmers and give a glimpse into the corporate power that companies such as Monsanto, owner of the increasingly dominant Ride-Up-Ready® strain of soybean, enjoy.

Faced with supermarkets stocked with products of potentially unethical origin and even more questionable nutritional value, some activists have taken the cause to their backyards. A recent trend garnering a lot of media attention is that of homegrown and sometimes home-wrangled food (yes, even in New York City). A selection of New York Times articles document rooftop gardening and chicken farming among other new hobbies of New Yorkers.

If we’ve learned anything this summer, it’s that awareness is the name of the game. Knowing what you’re eating and where it’s coming from not only guarantees your safety, but also ensures that you know who—and what—you’re supporting with your purchase.

Alison Hodgson is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Editor Emeritus.

regretting liberal arts

by Melissa Lasker

I should have become a mechanic. I concluded this over the summer, when my car suddenly broke down for no apparent reason. As I stood on the side of the road wondering why my car sounded like it was trying to cannibalize itself, I wondered, “For all of the time I have spent at Barnard studying how and why things happen, how is it possible that I can’t identify what just occurred before my very eyes?” Just like that, I was not only worried about my broken-down car, but also, I started re-evaluating the worth of my college education.

I continued thinking, “Why did I decide to dedicate four years of my life to learn about philosophy, art and economics? I should have chosen to study something tangible and practical.” At the moment, it seemed that my toptier, time-honored education, I daresay, was failing me. I should have become a mechanic.

This was not the first time I had reconsidered my choice to follow the scholarly path. I have begun to question the value of a liberal arts education in today’s world. Having applied for unpaid fall internships and soon, applying for a full-time job, I have faced an extremely competitive pool of applicants. I recognize that I have a distinct advantage by virtue of the fact that I will possess an undergraduate degree from a renowned college.

Nevertheless, I wonder: could I have leveraged that advantage by choosing a school that offered pre-professional majors? Did I seize an opportunity by attending Barnard or did I pass one up?

In the spirit of the liberal arts tradition, to answer my question, I must ask more questions. What have I learned at Barnard that I might not have learned somewhere else?

That’s easy: analysis. If there is any one skill that students acquire in their time at Barnard, it’s the ability to deeply ana-

What think you, René?

Euu... the problem is either the carburetor or the pineal gland... lyze anything. I never cease to be impressed by the complex challenges my peers at Barnard investigate on a daily basis. Though I sincerely believe that Barnard women are among the most brilliant on the planet, I wonder how many of them would know how to go about fixing my car.

The most frustrating part of this experience might have been that I spent the better part of last semester studying the history and nuances of the automobile manufacturing industry. Even knowing why the company that designed my car has a competitive advantage over its international counterparts, I remained unable to tackle a real-world application of that material. At the end of this episode, I was towed away with a broken front axle and the beginnings of a mild existential-academic panic attack.

However, what the liberal arts experience might lack in immediate practicality in situations like this one, it makes up for in variety of applicability.

Honing your analytical skill set—be the challenges you face today literary, political, or scientific—will help you pass more of those real-world tests later

in life than you ever thought you could. That’s how some of Barnard’s most notable alumnae majored in botany, architectural history, or anthropology and went on to become entrepreneurs, politicians, media moguls, and comediennes.

Three-quarters of the way through our undergraduate academic experience, the Barnard faculty have trained the current class of seniors well to consider the multifaceted nature of problems and to seriously deliberate on both their evident and hidden implications. Don’t worry, first-years; you too will undergo this rigorous training process. Having broken down and reconstructed the challenges that await us outside those iron gates, the next step is finding the solutions; and for that, we’re on our own.

Melissa Lasker is a Barnard senior and Bulletin associate editor.

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You Can’t Stop Them, but You Can Protect Yourself

by Nancy Elshami

A brightly colored advertisement is plastered ubiquitously over houses, tramcars, and shops throughout the busy streets of Egypt. On the right side of the poster is an alluring bright red lollipop with its wrapper carelessly laid on the ground beside it. The lollipop is covered with houseflies. On the left side is the same lollipop, except it is tightly enclosed within its wrapper. There is a fly in this picture as well, except it is a lone fly headed in a direction away from the lollipop.

On the bottom of the ad is written: “You can’t stop them, but you can protect yourself. He who created you is more knowledgeable of what is beneficial for you.”

Ads like this are becoming increasingly popular in Egypt and the Middle East.

They are indicative of the growing trend of sexual harassment, urging women to avoid the violation by covering their bodies as the religion of Islam suggests.

Though the use of metaphor is mildly amusing, these ads represent a mindset that has dangerous implications for gender roles in the country. They also reflect a grave trend that threatens and undermines women on a daily basis.

While sexual harassment has always existed in some capacity in Egypt, never has it been felt so strongly as within the past decade. What were once isolated instances have become part of the daily routine for millions of Egyptian women. Spending my summer researching at the American University in Cairo, I planned on studying the phenomenon based on numbers and facts,

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but ended up learning more from my own experiences and observations.

While there are the common piercing stares, awkward compliments, and lewd catcalls, sexual harassment reaches much more invasive, demeaning levels.

For instance, touching, grazing, and pinching are common threats that an Egyptian woman is vulnerable to once she steps into the public realm. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of reported rapes and kidnappings.

by the ECRW indicates that 98 percent of foreign women visitors and 83 percent of Egyptian women have experienced sexual harassment, while 62 percent of Egyptian men admit harassing women and 53 percent of Egyptian men blame women for eliciting it.

This allocation of fault to women is, to an extent, the core of the problem. Blame is hardly ever extended to the man’s inability to practice respect or self-control. This sentiment of

There is no concrete definition of what constitutes sexual harassment in the Egyptian law system. According to the Egyptian Centre on Women’s Rights (ECWR), “any person offending the modesty of a woman whether verbally or physically, shall be punished either by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine that’s not less than 200 L.E. and not more than 1000 L.E., or both.” The interpretation of this law is left in the hands of the District Attorney and Judicial system, and problematically, it is lower-ranking officers who make the decision on whether to file a claim in the first place.

A recent poll conducted

blame is so culturally ingrained that it is even shared by women themselves. Sixty percent of the poll’s respondents suggested that scantily clad women were most at risk; they blamed even modestly dressed women for inciting the harassment.

Reem Mansour, a 23-year-old Egyptian college student in Alexandria, says, “I started wearing the veil a couple of years ago. While I consider myself religious, the main incentive behind wearing it was to shut people’s mouths on campus and avoid the headache of catcalls every day. Alas, hardly anything has changed though.”

Nearly 98 percent of

women in Egypt don the veil.

While many consider the religious symbol an integral part of their faith, its religious significance is absent among millions who wear the head covering primarily out of social necessity. It is becoming increasingly impossible for a woman to function in the social sphere as a student or an employee without adopting the proper attire to guard her reputation and chastity. “At school, it’s a lot easier to spread a rumor about a girl who isn’t veiled; they tend to be the ones who attract the most attention anyway,” Reem comments.

Unemployment is among the many factors contributing to the rise in sexual harassment. Idle time and sense of uselessness may drive men to display their masculinity on the streets.

The huge cost of marriage and the fact that sex outside marriage is forbidden might also explain the rising phenomenon. With the latest law increasing the price of a marriage license to 4,000 L.E. (in a country with an average salary of 200 L.E. per week), the situation has become dire. On the one hand, there isn’t anything to suggest hope for a change of the economic situation. On the other hand, with the effect of globalization and the provocative material on television men are exposed to, coupled with the sexual barriers of the culture, there are several elements of frustration that are directed towards women. Egyptian youth are finding themselves suspended in a society polarized between religious Puritanism and the influx of Western media and ideals.

Sexual harassment in Egypt is not only a gender issue, but also a class and political issue.

There are certain aspects of government hesitation, coupled with bureaucratic corruption and inefcontinued on page 11

Is the u.s. Moving Toward a More Perfect Union?

by Gabriella Stern

to react in a manner that Crowley viewed as threatening, Gates was arrested for disorder Throughout the seemingly endless ly conduct and held in the police station for presidential race, many Americans said that four hours. Five days later all charges were they had a difficult time believing they would dropped. The nuanced details of the incident live to see the day when a black man would become blurry, as there were many contradicbe elected president. On November 4, 2008, tory accusations made about both the actions the nation took what seemed an unexpected taken and words spoken by Professor Gates leap, electing Barack Obama. For a brief pe- and Sgt. Crowley. Regardless, it is clear that riod, it appeared to some that issues of racial race was a factor in the minds of both men, inequalities were no longer relevant topics of making the incident more complex, sensitive, conversation. Yet the July 16 arrest of Henry and emotional.

Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard Professor of Af- The arrest attracted national atrican-American history, has reignited racial tention when President Obama, a friend of tension and discussion in this country. In the Gates, was asked to comment on the incident months following Gates’ arrest, President during a press conference. Obama explained Obama has appropriately and successfully that while he did not know all the facts, from played the role of the nation’s mediator in what he had heard, the Cambridge Police had discussing race relations. “acted stupidly” for arresting Gates after he

The details of Gates’ arrest remain had proved to the officer that he owned the dubious as a number of conflicting stories home. Obama continued to connect the inhave been told; however, the most reported cident to the larger issue of racial profiling, and widely accepted facts are these: On July remarking, “What I think we know, separate 16, Gates was arrested in his home by Sgt. and apart from this incident, is that there is a James Crowley, a white officer of the Cam- long history in this country of African-Amerbridge Police, after a neighbor called to re- icans and Latinos being stopped by law enport what she believed to be two men break- forcement disproportionately. And that’s just ing into a home. As the lock on the door a fact.” Obama received a great deal of critiwas broken, Gates and his driver attempted cism for remarking on a local police force to push open the door, causing them to ap- conflict and more importantly, commenting pear as if they were breaking-and-entering. without knowing all the facts of the incident.

It has been reported that when the police Some even believed Obama’s response was officers came to the scene of the supposed discriminatory, suggesting reverse racism as crime, Gates became angered by the officer’s a cause for his immediate support of Gates. assumption that this was a break-in. Gates As the furor grew, Obama attempted thought that the color of his skin prevented to rectify the situation by speaking directly to the officer from believing that he could live in the press. He explained that he thought there an upscale neighborhood, and he assumed he was an “overreaction” on both sides and adwas a victim of racial profiling. As he began mitted that he should have chosen his words more carefully. Additionally, he stated that he believed Sgt. Crowley was an “outstanding police officer and a good man,” continued from page 10 also noting his “good track refectiveness, that hinder the dissolution of cord with racial sensitivity.” this problem. The government cannot inhibit However, the president reitersexual harassment without first dealing with the ated part of his initial opinion core issues of the problem, namely the economy when he said, “because of our and the pervasive, misogynistic notions. While history, because of the difficulnew laws may help alleviate the issue and bring ties of the past, African-Amerjustice to victims of harassment, hindrances of coricans are sensitive to these ruption and inherent social issues will stand as an issues.” To put the conflict to obstacle to true reform. As in most cases, women rest, he invited both Gates and must bear the burden of this entanglement.

Crowley to the White House to share a beer. The incident has become a “teachable moment” Nancy Elshami is a Barnard senior and for America.

Bulletin Politics & Opinion Editor.

While it is quite clear that

Obama did make an initial mistake in his word choice, and did speak too soon without enough information, it is also clear that a national dialogue on racism and its consequences is still necessary. Obama proved that he is able to lead the dialogue, even when it is uncomfortable. The U.S. looks forward to the day when a black man stopped by a white cop does not instantly trigger suspicions of racial injustice or racial profiling. We are not there yet. The discussion of racism and racial inequalities is far from over. It has become more complex, poignant, and often difficult.

Fortunately, we now have a leader who seeks a “more perfect union” by opening the doors to debate, discussion, and sometimes a beer when necessary.

Gabriella Stern is a Barnard junior and Bulletin associate editor.

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your country is the world

by Chisato Sakamoto

“Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen, a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.” These words, uttered by then-president-elect Barack Obama in Berlin last summer, foreshadowed a turning point in American international relations. Identifying himself both as an American and global citizen, Obama rejected the unilateral foreign policy of the Bush administration that had failed to cooperate with the international community. And, equally important, he signaled a change in people’s perceptions about citizenship: regardless of one’s passport, more and more people are seeing themselves as citizens of the world, not just of a nation or two. They are, in fact, becoming global citizens, and among them are our very own Barnard students.

Yet the definition of global citizenship is uncertain, as there is no specific meaning attached to the term. Most scholars have deemed that a legal definition of global citizenship is impossible because no global government exists to carry out legislative and executive duties. Alternatively, some academics have defined global citizenship as the feeling of solidarity among peoples of the world that fosters a sense of mutual obligation. This, it seems, is also how many Barnard students understand the term. Annie Kennington, BC ’10, defines a global citizen “as a person who recognizes the need for international communication, cooperation, and understanding—somebody who is committed to increasing prosperity throughout the world, not just at home.” While this explanation appeals widely, many scholars and international relations experts still find this definition unacceptable.

Solidarity, they argue, does not necessarily translate into global citizenship.

Although some may object to this vague definition of global citizenship, it is the basis on which the Educational Development

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Center (EDC) of New York University and its partners conducted a 2007 survey, the “Our World” Capstone project, to determine the prevalence of global citizenship among 3,381 youths from 88 countries. Respondents were graded on the degree to which they manifested global citizenship and were classified accordingly as Getting Started, Moving Along, and Global Citizen. The results showed that approximately 31 percent of the youth were Getting Started, while 56 percent were Moving Along; only 11 percent, the majority of whom were from Europe, were classified as Global Citizens. In its report, the Capstone team determined that among various factors, access to the Internet and the amount of education received influenced the level of global citizenship of the respondents.

Many colleges, including Barnard, have likewise acknowledged the impact of education on students’ awareness of global citizenship and have strongly encouraged studying abroad as a way to broaden their view of the world. And, as anticipated, many Barnard students have found that their study-abroad experiences have nurtured their identities as global citizens. Kennington, who has studied abroad in Prague and France, says she “would like to think of myself as a global citizen.” Currently completing an internship in Slovakia, she explains how her experiences abroad have profoundly shaped her self-perception as a global citizen. “My study-abroad experiences, but mostly my internship, really made me realize how dependant everyone is on each other and how global issues affect all nations both similarly and differently.”

Others are less certain about themselves as global citizens. Alison Hodgson, BC ’10 and Bulletin Editor Emeritus, studied abroad in China in the summer of 2007, but she does not see herself as a global citizen yet. However, she too noted the impact that this experience had on her awareness of global citizenship. “My studyabroad experience definitely helped me become more aware of how I identify myself and with whom I identify. Being overseas broadened the network of the people to whom I felt responsible, and, in that way, started me down the path to global citizenship.”

Though Barnard students who have studied abroad differ in their self-perception as global citizens, many voice an optimism that global citizenship will lead to a brighter future for the world. Jessica

Chen, BC ’10, who studied abroad in England last semester, views global citizenship as a positive force that will lead to a “a system of checks and balances” between countries that will make the world “a safer place to live.” Hodgson also holds the hope that cooperation fostered by the spirit of global citizenship will resolve the problems currently plaguing the world. Hodgson summed up her thoughts, saying, “Global citizenship, and the identity that drives it, is the key to ending many of the world’s problems.”

The limitations of global citizenship, however, may prevent the realization of these hopes. According to Molly Tambor, term adjunct professor of European history, President Obama’s call to Americans to see themselves as global citizens with an ethical duty to help those of other nations is a step forward: not only will it help solve global issues such as environmental and economic problems, but it will increase grassroots activism on an international level by raising commitment to those outside one’s local community. But she is skeptical that global citizenship will develop as a legal concept in the near future. Doubtful that nation-states will give up their sovereignty in favor of a global government, she said, “Still, even if the will to cooperate on that level for these issues does spread among private individuals in a truly mass way, I would guess that national governments would remain the actual mouthpieces and executors of that will in concrete terms of making legal and economic treaties.”

Another roadblock to the fulfillment of global citizenship is, of course, those who object to the very concept. At a Washington, D.C., fundraiser on June 9, Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House, declared in defiance of Obama that “I am not a citizen of the world,” and proceeded to say that “the entire concept is intellectual nonsense and stunningly dangerous!” Mark Gerzon, a Distinguished Fellow at the EastWest Institute, explained in his article “Going Global: The Gingrich-Obama ‘Global Citizen’ Debate” that Gingrich’s comment revolves around the problem: can American patriotism be reconciled with global citizenship? While he posits that it is possible to think of oneself both as an American and a global citizen, he recognizes that it is an issue that will continue to divide Americans.

The forecast that the masses will embrace global citizenship in the near future, then, seems gloomy. But, in today’s world wracked by chaos, what is of immediate importance may only be a sense of solidarity and compassion among peoples of the world.

Definitions can wait. Now is the time to act.

Chisato Sakamoto is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Editor-at-Large.

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Photo essay: trying to be lost IN INDIA

by Bree Polk-Bauman

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Bree Polk-Bauman is a Barnard senior.

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Painting gotham red: a&e Skylights

by Sophia Mossberg

Broadway remembers Annie (1977) for the redheaded optimism about the day “the sun will come out,” but there was also impassioned bald-headed enthusiasm in a song called NYC (“…you snap / you fizz / the best there is…”). More than 30 years later, Daddy Warbucks still has it right about NYC: New York is all about possibility.

This city thrives on noise, speed and grit, but also on the magical aspects of its history and reputation— the boundless energy, the lights that dazzle from postcards and the silver screen. Yes, the Bronx is up and the Battery’s down and the people ride in a hole in the ground, but at the end of the day it’s about the big picture: New York, it’s a wonderful town.

Fall is an especially enchanting time in the city. Art exhibitions and theatre thrive, Fashion Week dazzles at Bryant Park, and the hordes of hopefuls clad in Balenciaga peer eagerly at the hubbub.

Whatever your passion, be it bopping to DJ Paul Van Dyk, scouring for Proenza Schouler, architecture-

gawking, or humming Elton John tunes as the Sahara comes to life, New York is your stomping ground. This fall, sink your boots into some of the city’s sub-radar haunts, a tiny fraction of which are detailed below.

Museum chic goes gastronomic with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Rooftop Garden Cafe. Getting acquainted with the Met’s rooms of grandeur is an art in and of itself, but as every guidebook or relative will steer you toward its imposing staircase and famous frames, I offer a less-traversed window into rooftop dining all’arte. If the display of genius downstairs, coupled with being seated on top of the world (or at least the Upper East Side) isn’t enough to draw you toward museum dining, here’s a culinary teaser: turkey, St. Andre, roasted pear, and cranberry mustard on a ciabatta.

Once you’ve devoured Michelangelo, Grecian

urns, and frozen daiquiris, take in the aerial view of your academic hometown, complete with Central Park and architectural heaven. Through October 25, American artist Roxy Paine’s Maelstom (a stainless steel sculpture depicting nature’s force) joins diners on the roof, adding to the visual stimuli. Hop onto this cultural grubwagon before the panoramic views dwindle into branches and snow (the café and exhibit are seasonal and weather permitting).

Can’t get into Fashion Week? Preach it to the choir, and find some things you surely can get in to, assuming you’re not a Charlotte York retail-only devotee.

Consignment-store shopping in Manhattan is among the best in the world, though persistence and a keen eye are key.

Tokio 7 on First Avenue and 7th is a personal favorite, where, though not necessarily cheap, garments are chic, often barely worn, and include Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce

& Gabbana, and Wang (Alexander and Vera are both possibilities) for a fraction of the original prices. Plus, the denim bin is worth the trek to the East Village alone, with brands such as J, Acne, and Earnest Sewn. Get clad!

Speaking of preaching to the choir, get your gospel groove on with soul food and a performance by the acclaimed Harlem Gospel Choir. The Sunday brunch is all-you-can-eat, so reserve tickets and stroll over to the B.B. King Blues Club in Midtown for the nourishment of your stomach and soul.

Another much-loved hub is Joe’s Pub, a downtown venue that always surprises with diverse shows ranging from classical quartets to Amy

Winehouse to fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi performing cabaret.

Think of it this way (with a little help from me, your A&E editor, and that famous little orphan): Your life in New York City might be as fleeting as the first flight back to Fresno, or you may collect your diploma and never leave the city again. Either way, you’ll be spending a lot of bottom dollars, and as life’s stakes get higher, you’ll be betting them too—but in New York, there is always sun somewhere. And if there’s a day that’s gray and lonely, stick out your chin, grin, and go to the freaking Met. In the words of Warbucks, “Come on, you slowpokes, we gotta get to the Roxy before the prices change!”

Sophia Mossberg is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor.

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5pointz: Your Friendly, Neighborhood Graffiti Gallery

by Samantha Greenberg

placement, and foot traffic. It brings a competitive edge to this legal version of graffiti.

As New York increasingly resembles a safer, cleaner, friendlier shadow of its former self, graffiti has transitioned from crime to art. Yet, it will probably be some time before the Metropolitan Museum of Art has exhibits devoted to graffiti. For now, we just have to hop on the downtown 1, get on the 7 train in Times Square, and walk a few short blocks from Court House Square to the 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see some fantastic art along the way.

Samantha Greenberg is a Barnard junior and Bulletin New York City Living Editor.

Images courtesy of kptyson (Flickr)

The New York City art scene is so much more than the museums you can go to with your Barnard ID. Fantastic art is all over these five boroughs: on mailboxes, in subway tunnels, on the sides of buildings, and under bridges. Graffiti, an illicit art favored by teens and gang members, is a city staple.

While hated by police officers, graffiti artists display some of the most creative material in highly original places and have been embraced by New York’s hippest art aficionados.

The concept of a graffiti gallery, such as 5Pointz in Long Island City, Queens, is somewhat contradictory. Can graffiti have the same countercultural impact if it’s not fur-

tively scrawled on public property? Curator Jonathan Cohen (better known by his graffiti alias Meres One) is exploring that possibility with the 5Pointz outdoor gallery. The 200,000-square foot factory building, once abandoned, is now a gathering place for graffiti artists from all over the five boroughs and the world. Amateur and professional artists alike can come to 5Pointz and fill stretches of the building with their own unique visions.

5Pointz takes up an entire city block and features a rotating display of graffiti murals. Every so often, as happened earlier this year in June 2009, the gallery is “renovated” and existing art is painted over to make room for new murals. According to 5ptz. com, pieces are left up depending on quality,

A Game Mere Muggles Can Play

by Hayley Panasiuk

The magical and enchanting world of Harry Potter makes a reader want to dive headfirst into Hogwarts and pick up his or her Nimbus 2000 for a game of Quidditch. While the wizarding world isn’t accessible to the average college-aged muggle, Middlebury College student Xander Manshel has designed a successful Quidditch game for a world without magic. The sport has spread to over 200 colleges and universities, including Princeton, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and our very own Columbia, showing no signs of slowing.

The adapted game is played by two seven-player teams.

Players include three Chasers, who try to score using a Quaffle (a deflated volleyball), a Keeper who attempts to deflect the shots, two Beaters who throw Bludgers (deflated dodgeballs) at opposing team members, and one Seeker, who spends the entire game trying to catch the Snitch. The Snitch is a player who wears a tennis ball hanging from his or her back; if the Seeker grabs the ball, that team immediately wins the game. The Snitch is allowed to move around the entire campus, running on and off the field as they please. Snitches have tackled other players, thrown food at their competitors, climbed onto school balconies, and even jumped into campus ponds to evade

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Seekers.

The game is designed not to disappoint a diehard Harry Potter fan’s understanding of the original. In the 2007-2008 academic year, a Quidditch Committee was formed at Middlebury which expanded the competition to other college teams, embarking on Quidditch matches at many Northeastern colleges and universities. ESPN, MTVU, and CBS have all covered the sport, encouraging the Committee to provide better equipment for their players, including lighter and more realistic brooms. Some racing brooms, made of oak and compared favorably to the Nimbus 2000, can cost up to $80!

The Quidditch Committee wants its makeshift sport to be taken seriously, and perhaps it should be. Elements of rugby, cross country running, soccer, and football are involved in the often brutal game. Injuries have included bruised ribs (from wayward, violent broomstick stabbings), broken ankles, skinned knees and muscle strains: real injuries that cannot be cured with magic.

Hayley Panasiuk is a Barnard junior and Bulletin Features Editor.

Stylish Simplicity in SoHo: A Review of Delicatessen

by Maria Giavanna Russo

Photo courtesy of Delicatessen

While in the city just this past July, I stumbled upon a gem of a restaurant nestled on a quiet residential corner bordering the SoHo and Nolita neighborhoods. Delicatessen: International Comfort Food, located on the corner of Prince and Lafayette Streets, is the epitome of a “hip” New York dining experience.

Delicatessen serves feel-good, freshly prepared meals and offers the perfect opportunity to eat al fresco next to some of the city’s most interesting people.

The décor of Delicatessen is contemporary and suggests a casual but chic ambiance: a matte aluminum exterior and mirrorlined, wood-paneled interior that exude style and modernity.

The menu offers traditional and authentic fare, as almost all of the dishes are classic diner favorites that have been reinvented and updated. I visited the Delicatessen for lunch and tried the Chicken Paillard and arugula salad served with fennel and cherry tomatoes. The thinly pounded chicken breast was perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs and grilled to moist perfection, and the greens were simply dressed with a refreshing balsamic vinaigrette and topped with parmesan cheese. Also available were the Cheeseburger

Spring Rolls with mustard-ketchup dipping sauce, Baked Mac and Cheese, Fish and Chips, and Grandmother’s Meatloaf.

If you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, Delicatessen offers delectable favorites such as Ovaltine Pudding Parfait with Crunchy Chocolate Pearls, Bananas Foster Split, and classic treats such as Apple Cobbler with Crème Fraiche Gelato and Milk and Cookies.

All of the tables at Deli-

catessen are situated closely to one another and are set with brown paper place mats, adding to the convivial nature of the restaurant and providing the opportunity to strike up a friendly conversation with the adjacent table. If the weather permits and you ar rive prior to the lunch and dinner rushes at 1:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. respectively, ask to be seated outside, where you will have the chance to people-watch in this bustling neighborhood. Put sim-

ply, Delicatessen serves tried-andtrue cuisine in a friendly and fun. environment. It is a musttry when you are in SoHo. 5/5 Stars. $10-$25 per entrée.

54 Prince Street; take the 1 train to 42nd St/Times Square, transfer to the downtown N, R, or W Train and take it to Prince Street.

Maria Giavanna Russo is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin Food Critic.

Cheap Eats around campus a primer for incoming first-years and hermits 1.

For traditional Korean food: Mill Try a steaming bowl of soup for lunch on a brisk fall day.

Turn south out of the gates and walk down Broadway to 113th Street.

2.

For Italian groceries: Milano Market Good for sandwiches, fresh pasta, and marinara sauce.

On the east (Columbia) side of Broadway between 112th and 113th Streets.

3.

For Middle Eastern and Kosher: Cafe Nana Good soups and sandwiches. Cheap stuffed grape leaves.

Go up to the second floor at 606 W. 115th St. between Broadway and Riverside.

4. For cheap pizza: the infamous Koronet.

Fill your stomach with floppy dough and cheese for 5 bucks.

5.

For a quick sandwich: Hamilton Deli You might not be wowed, but you’ll have sustenance beween classes.

Walk east through Columbia to Amsterdam, spot the awning between 115th and 116th Streets, and go down the stairs.

6. For Greek: the Symposium Mixed reviews, but you can’t go wrong with salad, feta, and pita. Walk down Broadway and turn east at 113th.

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Les étrangers

by Ellie Krupnick

“Paris change! mais rien dans ma mélancolie n’a bougé!”

teems with millions of individuals of various races, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic positions, ages, and… hell, even genders. A hundred and Charles Baudelaire, “Le Cygne,” Fleurs fifty years after Baudelaire du Mal penned “Le Cygne,” New York claims Haussmann’s markers of modernity: wide avenues, In 1859, in a poem dedicated to Victor countless modes of transportation, and most Hugo, French poet Charles Baudelaire importantly, masses of people unknown to bemoans the rush of modernization sweeping one another. Yet for all the makings of an his beloved Paris. The poem, “Le Cygne,” impersonal metropolis of strangers, the large describes a swan writhing on the gray crowds of New York actually invite personal, dusty pavement, its neck outstretched to the individual connections. As I have witnessed “ironique et cruellement bleu / cruelly blue” this summer in New York City, connection is sky in a prayer for rain. Yet in the New Modern possible.

Paris, the swan is alone, “comme les exilés, Spend just one day in the city this ridicule et sublime / ridiculous, sublime, like summer and you will feel the unique crush a man in exile.” of the crowds. The usual camera-toting One of the great literary voices of 19thflocks are augmented by tourists hailing from century Paris, Baudelaire was consumed with middle America, Australia, and every place the changes wrought by Haussmanization, in between, necks craned and bags clutched the aggressive physical refashioning of tight. Added to the expected tourist crowds Paris by civic planner Georges-Eugène are New Yorkers themselves. Countless Haussmann. Haussmanization marked the summer-specific opportunities bring the creation of New Paris (or the destruction sweating city-dwellers together. Free movie of Old Paris, as Baudelaire saw it), the screenings, concerts, crafts fairs, farmer’s making of the modern 19th-century city markets, and even outdoor yoga summon the with ample boulevards and public gardens city’s strangers. In these large anonymous replacing the city’s dense, twisted streets of crowds, one witnesses the unexpected effects old. The widened thoroughfares plus newly of modern city living. developed railroads meant masses of people Stop by Bryant Park on a Monday on the streets, as locals ventured outside their evening and this phenomenon is clear. Every familiar neighborhoods and tourists ventured Monday, beginning at 5 p.m., hundreds of in. The result: the feeling of being an exile people wait patiently and pleasantly for a in one’s own crowded city. Among mobile free movie showing on an enormous HBOanonymous masses, the individual is alone sponsored screen. Spread out on many and forever displaced. blankets, the moviegoers include recognizable Back in 1859, Paris contained regulars such as the male twenty-somethings approximately one million people. Today, with the inflatable cactus, propped up smack New York City boasts about 8.3 million. As in the middle of the lawn as a constant the quintessential modern city, New York landmark, and the Andre 3000 doppelganger in his pink gingham oxford shirt, wingtips, straw fedora and spiffy bowtie.

Most memorable from this motley crew, however, was a beautiful, statuesque man with a dancer’s body, his impossibly smooth, bare chest rising out of white D&G jeans slung dangerously low on the narrowest hips I have

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ever seen. More remarkable was the man’s teeny chocolate-brown Chihuahua, no bigger than a guinea pig, which scampered around, attracting groups of curious strangers, their arms outstretched. The pup gravitated toward a middle-aged woman nearby, heavyset in her mom jeans, who scooped him up with a smile and struck a fast friendship with his intimidating owner. I smiled as I observed their interactions, thinking to myself how this woman and the dog’s owner were, on the surface, the most unlikely pair. But with the puppy between them, a shared patch of grass beneath them, and a single movie screen ahead, an immediate connection was formed.

There is comfort in the presence of strangers whose commonality with you is simple, clear, and definable. No matter what else may be different, you share the one common purpose: a free movie, a celebrity sighting, the uptown train. That single purpose not only allows for connection but truly invites it. Summer in New York may be crowded, but at least you know you are never alone.

Ellie Krupnick is a Barnard junior and Bulletin staff writer.

A Frugal Guide to New york City Living

by Mabel McLean

New York is notoriously pricey, but it’s easier than you might think to save a few bucks here and there. Here are five penny pinching tips for the chic New Yorker on a budget:

Fine(ish) Dining for $10 and under Five-star, schmive-star. Paying $25 for an entrée smaller than the size of your hand just plain sucks. Instead, hit up S’MAC (345 E. 12th St. or 474 Columbus Ave.), Shake Shack (366 Columbus Ave.), or Peanut Butter & Co. (240 Sullivan St.), where it’s possible to grab a dinner for less than $10 that won’t leave you starving at the end of the night. For dessert, stick it to the overpriced Pinkberry and try Yogurt-Land (267 Bleeker St.).

Free Love for Your Locks Want to look as if you and your bouncy locks just sashayed off of the set of Gossip Girl, without the Blair Waldorf price tag? Many New York salons sponsor advanced training for professional stylists and offer free haircuts if you’re willing to assume the role of a lab rat. Sign up at bbumodelproject.com to nab a free Bumble & Bumble haircut, coloring, and styling.

Just don’t forget to leave a tip!

Give your regards to Broadway Don’t even think about paying full price for a ticket to a Broadway show. First, check out CUarts.com or the Barnard Office of College Activities, where you can routinely score sweet deals on a variety of shows. Also, look up an individual theater’s policies on standing room-only or student rush tickets; I’ve gotten front-row seats to plays such as Avenue Q and In the Heights for about $21.

“Naked People Have Little Influence On Society” —Mark Twain Dolce & Gabanna, Fendi and… yeah, not exactly in my price range. Unless your lady lumps have a knack for bringing you designer goodies à la Fergie-Ferg style, chances are you’re probably in the same boat. However, if you’re not put off by used clothing, check out New York’s myriad consignment and used clothing stores such as Buffalo Exchange (332 E. 11th St.) for amazing finds (hello, $15 Anna Sui dress!).

For newer steals, sift through stores like Century-21 and Loehmann’s. And don’t forget that, while not designer, stores such as Topshop, Madewell, and J. Crew offer student discounts of 10-15 percent.

Save your cash for something better than books In the seconds following your first class of the fall semester, do yourself a favor: resist joining your classmates in their overeager bookstore frenzy.

Instead, make a beeline for the nearest computer and check out half.com or the Facebook application Books on Campus, where students sell their used books at discounted prices.

Better yet, get your books for free! If you’re taking an English class that requires you to read many novels, ditch Book Culture for Butler Library and opt to borrow rather than purchase your books.

Mabel McLean is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin Assistant Art Director.

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Musings of a Pop Culture Junkie: Alumna Edition

by Amanda Lanceter While there is very little pop culture in this article, I thought it was fitting to use my old column’s name, since it’s the title I wrote under for nearly two years. I have to say, it’s good to be back in the Bulletin. Here follows my account of life after Barnard.

In the months leading up to graduation, I kept hearing the same thing over and over again: “The economy is so bad right now! You must be nervous about getting a job!” I smiled politely each time, but inside I was screaming, “I am well aware of this fact, and you bringing it up is NOT HELPING!” Every time someone mentioned my life after graduation, I felt panic building up inside of me, with the same thoughts running through my mind in a seemingly infinite loop: “I haven’t been doing enough to get a job. I need to send out resumés. I need to write cover letters. I need to go to Career Development. I need to look online for jobs.…” In order to calm down, I needed to indulge in my favorite form of anxiety-reducing behavior: shopping. (It was a very expensive few months.)

In April, I found out that I had been accepted into New York City Teaching Fellows. The job-related anxiety subsided for a bit, replaced by concern about things like my thesis, my independent study, finding a place to live once I graduated, and the other stresses that come with the end of a semester. My graduation seemed to go by in a blur (well, the Barnard graduation anyway—the Columbia ceremony was long and tedious, and I had to apologize to my boyfriend about 75 times for asking him to come to it). Once I left Barnard for good, however, the panic started in again. Words like “hiring freeze,” “cover letters,” and “updated resumes” became akin to “Voldemort.” I would cringe and exclaim, “Those are THINGS-THAT-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED!” every time that I heard them. I found myself needing to take online courses for Teaching Fellows and read a 300-page textbook before training started in June. Wasn’t I supposed to be done with all of this stressful stuff?

While I’ve enjoyed being a Teaching Fellow, and I’m excited to teach students with special needs at a high school in Staten Island, I’m still not fully adjusted to life beyond Barnard. I can’t say that I miss exams, labs, and papers, but I miss the luxury of sleeping late because I don’t have class until 11. I miss getting the opportunity to research and explore ideas that I’m interested in. I miss taking a class just for the sake of learning, not just because I’m required to (as it is now in my graduate program, where everything is structured and there is no time for anything other than requirements). I would love to go back and be a student just for a day, but I’m not at the point where I’d tell someone, “You have it so easy at Barnard!” I never understood when people would tell me that I’d never have so much free time as I did when I was in college. (While this is true to a certain extent, none of

20 features: alumna letter

them went to Barnard). I know how stressful and full our schedules are at Barnard, between classes, clubs, jobs, and internships, and I am glad that I never have to feel that stress again. I have all new stresses now, but the change is welcome, and I know that life at Barnard really prepared me to handle life beyond Barnard. Just keep that in mind when you’re in the middle of finals and wondering why you decided to do this to yourself, as I did so many times. It’s all worth it in the end.

Amanda Lanceter is a member of the class of 2009 and former Bulletin editor. You can find her online at awkwardprincess.blogspot. com.

As long-lived as the motorcycle Be a part of the Bulletin tradition Anyone can write for us. Come to our general meetings to meet with our editors, who will work with you on an article for a two-week period prior to publication. No experience is necessary.

General Meetings Location: TBD Dates: Monday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.

Art Staff Meetings Location: 242 Brooks Dates: Monday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.

Office Hours Location: 242 Brooks Dates: Monday, Sept 14, 9-11 p.m.

Monday, Sept 28, 9-11 p.m.

Monday, Oct 12, 9-11 p.m.

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Fall 2009/Spring 2010 Open Positions Art/Production: layout editors, photo editor, copy editors, PR coordinators, and ad deputies Web: SGA correspondent, first-year blogger, senior blogger Please e-mail bulletin@barnard.edu if you are interested in applying.

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THE NEW REALITY OF MEXICO-US MIGRATION 7 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 3rdREAlITy Floor Barnard Hall THE NEW OF MEXICO-US MIgRATION 7 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall

09/16 09/16

Eileen O’Neill ’75 9:00 AM Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall

NEW FEMINIST ACTIVISM 6:30 PM James Room, 4th Floor Barnard Hall

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09/21 09/21

6 PM LOS DEMO NIOS EDÉN Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd FloorDEL Barnard Hall

NEW FEMINIST ACTIVISM 6:30 PM James Room, 4th Floor Barnard Hall

NORA 7 PM Julius S. NORA Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

7 PM Julius S. Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

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THE BALLETS RUSSES 6:30 PMTHE BAllETS RUSSES 6:30 PM 5, 130 West 56th Street City Center, Studio

City Center, Studio 5, 130 West 56th Street

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CORPORATIONS GONEgONE GOOD CORPORATIONS gOOD A Manifesto for 21st A Manifesto forCentury 21st Century Leadership leadership 6:30 PM6:30 PM S. Held Auditorium, 304Hall Barnard Hall Julius S. Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard RENATIONALIZING MEMBERSHIP RENATIONAlIzINg MEMBERSHIP POLITICS. OR? POlITICS. OR? 7 PM 7 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall

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WOMEN, PHILOSOPHY & HISTORY WOMEN, PHIlOSOPHy & HISTORy Conference in Celebration Conference in Celebration of Eileen O’NeillO’Neill ’75 ’75 of Eileen 9:00 AM 9:00 AM Sulzberger FloorHall Barnard Hall Sulzberger Parlor, 3rdParlor, Floor 3rd Barnard

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HISTORY (MIS-)TRANSLATED US History According to Foreign Textbooks HISTORy (MIS-)TRANSlATED 6 PM According to Foreign US History Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall Textbooks Gender, Violence and Activism in Mexico lOS 6:30 DEMONIOS DEl EDÉN PM gender, and Activism in JuliusViolence S. Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall Mexico 6:30 PM Julius S. Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

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THE PLACE OF CONTEMPORARY ART 12 PM THE BCRW, PlACE101 OFBarnard CONTEMPORARy ART Hall 12 PM BCRW, 101 Barnard Hall

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GRETCHEN MATTOX,

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KILLED OSCAR WHOWHO kIllED OSCAR WAO? WAO? Migration, Masculinity, and Other Migration, Masculinity, and Other Dominican Matters Dominican Matters 7 PM7 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall Hall Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard

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featured artist: Bree Polk-Bauman, ’10

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