!"#$%&'(&')
!"##$%&' !"#$%&'()*+,'-..$&'/
!"#"$%"&'()**
Gi song:rl with a hat yo didn’w u about t know S Meloonphia
A Modern Audrey Photographed by Gabrielle Lewis
TOURIST TRAPS | THE BROOKLYN YOU’VE NEVER SEEN | THE BEST THRIFT STORES | KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGNS | THE TRUTH ON STUDENT LOANS | MICHELLE BACHMANN
&
artwork by Emily Moore, Kayla Desroches, Rhea Schmid + more
!"#$%!&#!&&'()
D ARNAR $# B T A 1%+' EARD
' OVERH +.#$%!&#/+0#$%.+ #+"# #. , ++ (&4 +5 *
23 '(#$+#( &7 $%(#!&& $'4("$ #& 4 . 2 " 62.
Photography by Gabrielle Lewis letter from the editors / 2
Presidency? Can women effect chance once in
Amanda Duberman’s parting words
executive power? headline/bottom line / 9
behind the scenes / 3
Ben & Jerry’s gets political / 10
see what really happened at Tiffany’s...
madame president / 11
arts & entertainment urban succession infiltrates southern Brooklyn and we take you inside the Chel-
she said - she said / 12
sea High Line
new york city living
Chelsea High Line / 24
trending topics / 4 these are a few of our favorite things!
inclined
babysitting diaries goes international and features
we show you how to embrace procrastina-
Audrey inspires us, even though we’re quite cer-
tion - but not when comes to smart vintage
tain she didn’t have student loans to worry about
shopping.
finding inspiration in the shadows / 5
finding inspiration / 13
Obama steps up to the student debt crisis/6
second time around / 14
a modern Audrey / 7
YOTS / 15
how does audrey hepburn’s cultural legacy impact nail care in this economy / 16
Gowanus, Brooklyn / 23 Knitting Factory / 25 real candidates of Capitol Hill / 26 history of the high heel /27 spotlight / 28 q&a with Sophia Melon bear essentials / 29 the best way to stay in the know about this
us today? gillian osswald attempts to answer this
tourist traps / 17
question, while a stunning photo spread makes
babysitting diaries / 18
month’s campus activities
centerpiece / 19
the calendar / 30
the answer abundantly clear politics & opinion
how students on both sides of the gates exploit
is Michelle Bachmann a serious contender for the
this micro-lending site for the creatively-
all the concerts we’re looking forward to this December
Letter from an Editor
Departing Words Remembering to look back in order to look forward is difficult with the future so fundamentally in question. Occupy Wall Street protests are vaguely referential to the social activist glory of 1968, but only to the extent that distinct parallels can be made to goals and objectives--both of which the movement has failed to specify. My right to criticize, however, is flimsy at best. At present, hindsight is far from 20/20. Instead, the immediate future is all too clear, with images of post-grad unemployment and a Bushwick studio threateningly crisp. Meanwhile, my selectively
!"#$%&'(")"*%+'(&,./0123443&43526
impaired vision of the past draws me into the comfortable cranial space assigned to my first year at Barnard, the reality of which is blurred by nostalgia and a bit of terror. Call it Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder, if you will. The late November sprint to finals leaves little room for indulgence, but we encourage you to find decadence in the small things. Play Breakfast at Tiffany’s as background noise for your take-home final. Before attempting to traverse the shaky bridge between anthropology and ethnocentrism, stroll the decidedly more secure Chelsea High Line. The eye sore of an entrance in Hell’s Kitchen, (a name we also apply to our 616 kitchen where toasters temporarily serve as file cabinets and the table top is vaguely discernible beneath dog-earred monographs and articles)- gives way slowly but surely to the finery and sophistication of Chelsea. After December 16th, you, too, will be in academic-downtown with tedious cab rides only a faint memory.
!"#$%&'"()#&*#!+&,CA"$%"&D'9)#A"$&E67 <+F"&D"#G+$&E67 .,/'0(,) H(/#+"&2/)(&E6I J(+G+"&H#/=G)$/#&E6, 1"2&'&3)45467&*&"* <"'#"&!"#/$&E6, 8(')454$*',('/&*9,*' KL#+=*+$)&M)*#+$&E6, K()/&<)G+$&E6I :,;4<"(=4!&'>4?&@&*A N"+*("$%&O'+*A)1)#&E6I
It feels right to apply the metaphor of academic stress and urban diversity as a mid-year graduating senior with my professional and geographical future so immediately in question. We take for granted the luxury of a response paper when many entry-level jobs require us to be fundamentally mute. As a Barnard student, a large part of my identity has always relied upon positive reinforcement from faculty and peers. How will I know I’m doing okay without it? I’m not certain yet, but luckily I have between 30th and 18th street to figure it out.
8('4B&(,3'"( N)P"$&N"Q')#"&E6I ?/>"0'4$%&'"( RL"$$/$&S#/1&E67 1+"'"A(/7+,(4/'4?/(A, H"9#+)(()&<)0+=&E6I B&(,3'"(4"-410C2&3&'> R/TL+"&N/==9)#P&E67 C()U"&V"??"#+$/&E67
Best,
AMANDA DUBERMAN Co-Editor-in-Chief
!"#$"#%&!'(()*+$ ,--.&!#/"%0"1 2)0&3/#45&23&6--78 9'(()*+$:9"#$"#%;)%'
<+4)&'=&/$&>"?)9//4@ >"?)9//4;?/AB9"#$"#%9'(()*+$ >/((/0&'=&/$&*0+**)#@ *0+**)#;?/AB9"#$"#%9'(()*+$
D0*&"(4$%&'"() H+((+"$&J==0"(%&E6I N)("$+)&RL"T+#/&E6W N"#*L"&!"##"**&E6, C((1=/$&H#/$/0+*F&E6I&
3!&!$#'&#+":!"(7 8889$%(/2."2.4/'::($!"9;+<
: s e n e c s e h t d n i h e b BU L L
COVER SH R E B M E C E D ET I N
AUD N R E D O AM
OOT:
REY
er 18, 270t1h1St novembA 5 t h ve x 5 Cops lecturing Alexa as Audrey on smoking
These gems are by KT Collection! Like what you see? Visit ktcollection.com Watch the video on our website! Holly sending a quick text to Fred THE BULLETIN -
3 - DECEMBER 2011
#TRENDING SNOOD It’s a scarf! It’s a hood! This winter accessory will manage to keep you warm without the threat of slow strangulation. Bring it on winter. JCrew $49.50
COSABELLA FLAGSHIP Designed in Miami, crafted in Italy, basic collections available in over 30 colors from nude to fluorescent... not to mention that their ‘Never Say Never’ panties may just edge out your Hanky Pankys in the battle for most comfortVOSGES HAUT CHOCOLAT able thong! For all the Intro Art History 220 Lafayette St. students forced to make the cruel crosstown trek to the Met, a sweet surprise (in the form of couture chocolate) lies directly across from the M4 stop at 84th and Madison. 1100 Madison Ave.
IST THIS MONTH’S PLAYL 1. Video Games - Lana del Ray, Video Games
Calendar Picks
2. We Found Each Other in the Dark - City and Colour, Little Hell 3. S’enteint Le Soleil - Yelle, Safari Disco Club 4. I Don’t Want Love - The Antlers, Burst Apart 5. Pie IX - Suuns, Zero QC 6. Fake Empire - The National, Boxer 7. Late Night In Zion - Matisyahu, Youth 8. No One’s Gonna Love You - Band of Horses, Cease To Begin 9. One in the Same - My Morning Jacket, It Still Moves 10. Te Amo - Atlas Sound, Parallax
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
4$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
FEATURES Finding Inspiration in the Shadows
T
his is not a news article. This is
To find something greater than this is, ac-
There is a dire need for fantasy in the lives
not a calculated, step-by-step
cording to Le Guin, you must “turn around
of students and faculty alike. Fantasy because
guide to alleviate stress in your
and follow your own shadow.”
it “…is the natural, the appropriate language
daily life. This is not an simple solution to the lack of inspiration we face so often.
“Follow your own shadow”? That sounds menacing. Idiotic, almost. If Le Guin is right,
for the recounting of the spiritual journey and the struggle of good and evil in the soul,” as suggested by Le Guin.
This is a confrontation of both our recep-
why would we want to trail the ugliest parts
tion desk styled answers--our “Hi! How are
of ourselves? The answer is because that
Unattended, the shadow grows darker,
you?!”s and also of the deepest, unrecognized
shadow, that “darker” part of who you are,
and the ego and façade we skillfully (or so
aspects of ourselves.
is where everything you fail to address on
we think) maintain proceeds to become the
a daily basis lurks. We’re not talking about
truest version of ourselves, and that is tragic.
After struggling with the very definition of “inspiration” in order to write this piece, I visited my advisor, Margaret Vandenburg of the English department. I asked what the definition of inspiration was to her, to which she responded by asking what I meant by a “definition.” After fumbling out a useless answer, she handed me a reading, and said, “This is inspiration.” It was a piece by Ursula K. Le Guin, a novelist with a penchant for fantasy, in which she elaborates on the idea of fantasy and its deepest implications. Le Guin takes one of Hans Christian Andersen stories, a tale of a man who is ultimately deceived by his own shadow. The shadow is everything the kind man did not want to address in his life, and according to Le Guin, “…the dark side of his soul, the unadmitted, the inadmissible.” This idea parallels psychologist Carl Gustav Jung’s idea of the “ego, the little private individual consciousness” that revolves around the Self, or what is common to all humankind. This ego, the part of ourselves basis, longs for a connection on a larger scale. When “offered nothing better,” it latches onto “…the mass mind, which consists of such things as cults, creeds, fads, fashions, statusseeking…all the hollow forms of communication and ‘togetherness’ that lack real communion or real sharing.”
your to-do list anymore, your Facebook notifications, or your wardrobe. We’re facing the deeply rooted phobia you have of failing, the friendship that is disintegrating before your eyes while smiles stay plastered on both your faces, and the 1,000 elephants in the room. We’re talking about the thoughts you can’t believe you had, and the dreams that leave you disgusted with your subconscious (is it even your subconscious?). Le Guin calls it the Cain to your Abel,
To understand what Le Guin was saying I did not look up the definition of “inspiration” on Merriam Webster, but instead I was forced to look within. It was scary, and sometimes it seems like the shadow, the repressed “me” will mar the very “essence” of who I contort and twist myself to be. But I did it. Scary? Yes. Inspired? Yes. quotes taken from Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Child and the Shadow.” 1974
the Gollum to your Frodo. The problem is that we have learned to associate the word “shadow” with everything bad, attempting to purge ourselves of all the evil we seem to rack up. Instead, there is a desperate need for the “shadow” within ourselves to be reconciled with the “ego” we display, or else the mind runs dry with social conventions and formalities. In response to the question
of
“What
inspires you?” many Barnard class of 2015 students answered with de-stress methods such as television shows and hobbies, suggesting that perhaps the line between sources of inspiration and de-stressing have blurred in the rush of calendars and exams.
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
5$$*+#,#-%#.$/011
Thumbelina by Rhea Schmid
that we are most in touch with on a regular
!"#$%&"'
By Kelly Kang
OVERHE AR
R NA R D
!"#$%&' ()%(*%+,+ '--.% &/()()0 %1.%*2' 034
The Borrowers: Obama Steps Up to Student Debt Crisis
I
D AT BA
By Liza Darvin n 2008, then-Senator Obama ran
than those that were about to enter into it.
ing this issue with the housing collapse, call-
his platform on the promise of
Finally, the focus has shifted back to the
ing now for a “student bailout” to offer some
change, making a commitment to
end the war in Iraq, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, implement nation health care, decrease US dependence on foreign oil, increase resources available to public schools, stimulate the economy, create jobs… all under the umbrella of working with Republicans in a bi-partisan effort. Somewhere in this mix was the pledge to help indebted college students deal with their mounting loans, but following the economic collapse in 2008, policies were created that better favored those who were already part of a struggling work force
I used banks to get private loans that have variable interest rates.
36 million student loan borrowers currently in repayment, a number that will continue to rise with the next wave of graduates in the Spring 2012 semester. Total student debt has exceeded $1 trillion, and the average rate of
relief. Whether Obama has heard these cries in earnest, or is just angling for re-election (depending on your political point of view), a helping hand was extended late this October when the President announced a plan for debt
indebtedness is constantly inching upwards.
consolidation and pay-by-wage repayment.
People are occupying streets, signing peti-
The unanimous “Yay!” that could be heard
tions, and moving money from big banks to
from every college campus quickly turned to
small credit unions, in part to send the mes-
confused “Huhs?” once the specifics of the
sage that student debt is a problem that can
eligibility requirements came to light. Here, a
no longer be swept under the rug. It’s easy to
handy flow-chart to help you understand what
understand why many have taken to liken-
this all means for your money misfortunes.
What type of loans are you burdened with?
Hmm… I couldn’t say.
Unfortunately, Obama’s new policy does not influence these types of loans.
Will you settle for no assistance? Yes, I love the idea of working full time with two jobs on the side until my late thirties!
Occupy a street! The message of OWS may be muddled, but it is a cathartic way to actively be heard. Consolidation: In exchange for moving bank-issued guaranteed federal loans into the Direct Loan program, the administration will reduce the interest rate on guaranteed loans by .25 percent. If borrowers further agree to have the loan payments automatically transferred from their bank account, they will also be eligible for .25 percent interest reduction on their other federal loans. The new rate will then be a weighted average of the two discounted rates from the two different types of loans.
I have exclusively federal loans.
Most people are actually very vague on which types of loans comprise their financial aid. Thankfully, The Education Department will be in touch with all eligible borrowers in January. Or, call 1-800-4FEDAID to make an independent inquire.
Only bank-issued federal loans or only Direct federal loans (but not both). An older federal program may apply, but not this one. My package also includes Perkins loans… Sorry, but you are plum out of luck.
No, I won’t rest until I see change! Visit forgivestudentloandebt.com to read the proposal by founder Robert Applebaum, and sign a petition for the government to issue a “student bailout.”
No, I either have loans preceding 2008, or have no new loans for this coming year. You graduated in 2011 or earlier, and unfortunately this means you will have to use the repayment plans already in place. This will offer some assistance, but not as extensively.
6$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
I have a mixture of federal and bankissued loans.
Great! So are the first of these loans from no earlier than 2008, and include a loan from 2012?
Pay-by-Wage: This will assist those with low incomes who otherwise would suffer under crippling interest rates. (Here’s looking at you, recent-college-grad-who-is-still-forced-totake-on-unpaid-internships-for-actual-work-experience.) Obama’s new policy will enhance an income-based repayment plan that already passed Congress in 2010. Both plans are based on the notion that a borrower’s monthly rates should be based off of their discretionary income, rather than simply the amount they owe. The difference with the new policy is that instead of paying as high as 15 percent of their income, borrowers now are only responsible for 10 percent. Most importantly, those who earn less than 150 percent of the poverty line will have a loan payment of zero. The Obama administration also changed the amount to time any remaining debt can be forgiven, lowering the requirement from 25 years to 20. Though the original proposal was not set to start until 2014, people will be eligible for this revised proposal from this January through June 30, 2012.
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
Yep, you meet the most basic requirement and might be eligible. What types of federal loans do you have?
Yes, I am currently a student with multiple loans, including a loan
Ding, ding, ding! You are likely one of the estimated 5.8 million people eligible for the new policy. See boxes to the left for how employment-based interest rates and consolidation could work in your favor.
!
She held herself very straight, like Audrey Hepburn, who all women idolize and men never think about.” Author Jeffrey Eugenides has hit it on the head: what is it about Audrey that women admire and want to emulate? What is it about her beauty that appeals to almost entirely female audiences? For many, Hepburn is the doe-eyed, fresh face staring back from a dorm room wall poster, but what is it about the icon that makes us want her to be a part of our aesthetic, an aesthetic that also upholds overly sexualized models and impossible standards? Fifty years after the debut of Blake Edwards’ classic film, Breakfast as Tiffany’s, women are still following in Audrey’s footsteps, drawing their definitions of beauty from her inspiration. In the book What Would Audrey Do?, Pamela Keogh explores the life of Audrey Hepburn through the lens of “timeless lessons for living through grace and style.” Keogh notes the universal appeal of Hepburn immediately after her first film, “Roman Holiday,” when “her gamine style, her singular off-screen fashion sense, and even her haircut were copied by a generation of women throughout the world.” Beyond her physical aesthetic, Audrey was venerated for being “the first celebrity of her stature to use her fame to help others,” according to Keogh. The idolization of Hepburn is understandable during the height of her acting career, but Keogh’s book, published in 2008, ten years after the icon’s death, shows that women have not stopped asking, “what would Audrey do?” Writers have been transfixed by Hepburn’s enduring beauty for decades. In 1996, novelist Diane Johnson published “Audrey Hepburn: the Thoroughbred” in the New York Times, similarly exploring the elusive
A Modern Audrey
by Gillian Osswald // Photography by Gabrielle Lewis Lewis
appeal of “this beautiful gazelle of an actress.” Johnson writes that it was not simply Hepburn’s “fresh beauty” that gave her such powerful magnetism. Acting ability, charm and naivety—though all endearing—
!"#$%&"'
weren’t quite the heart of it, either. Rather, Johnson ventures, “Elegance comes closer -- that joyous lightness of touch and piquan tslenderness,” an explanation almost as !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
7$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
enigmatic as the question itself, one which peace, to our definition of Audrey. Deanna Ben- piano too. We knew she had studied ballet, leaves us with many blanks to fill in with our nett, BC ’14, acknowledged the pursuit of “look- though she seldom danced.” Who could be own ideas of “lightness” and “elegance.” While ing effortless” or appearing put together “without a more appropriate idol for a strong, beautiother actresses fade into the background, the looking like you might have put over a half hour ful Barnard woman? This idea of beauty rests appeal of Audrey remains unwavering.
into it.” Bennett added that Audrey can also be upon a foundation of accomplishment and
Maybe the thing about Audrey is that we a picture of “having it all” while still being able therefore sophistication. Amidst the superfihave blanks to fill in, giving her a quality of to look as though “it’s the most natural thing in ciality of many definitions of beauty, Audrey
timelessness. Her beauty transfers to the 21st the world.” Maitland Quitmeyer, BC ’14, said that becomes an icon for a more mature beauty century as we glance up at our Breakfast at Tif- Audrey portrays a “stress-free and peace-filled and grace that is upheld by something inside
fany’s poster and apply a sweep of eyeliner or woman.” “For whatever reason, people can see a woman, her experience. This even brings an twist back our hair, but should the image of something in her,” she noted, “something they air of individuality to beauty, as is it shaped by Holly Golightly be one that we covet decades like to look at.” Audrey’s effortlessness and natu- each woman’s unique understanding of her later? Critics describe Hepburn’s character in ral beauty can be seen as a welcome contrast to world.
the 1961 classic as far from admirable, even the contrived, almost tortured kind of contemAudrey made a clear rejection of superficial porary beauty, with painful procedures and false manic in her behavior. Yet, while Hepburn’s beauty in her quote, “For attractive lips, speak elegance is distinguished in this film, some, parts galore. The kind of beauty associated with words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out including her contemporary Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn is a welcome contrast, a refuge the good in people. For a slim figure, share attribute her enduring attractiveness to wom- from the rules of girlhood. your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, en as a product of the coupling with Audrey’s
Barnard students, worldly and educated as let a child run her hands through it once a day.
own personality that was exuded in personal we are, can also identify with Hepburn’s sophis- For poise, walk with the knowledge that you statements, interviews, and dedication to phi- tication. Johnston claimed that Audrey was the never walk alone.” The beauty she advocates lanthropy during the lifetime. The woman epitome of the American girl’s search for “so- and epitomizes never stemmed from outside we emulate wears the clothes of Tiffany’s but phisticated worldliness.” Perhaps her appeal en- factors like appearance or even skill in acting, speaks with the softness of Audrey Hepburn dures especially in an environment dedicated to but from more intangible qualities within each as a person.
the pursuit of knowledge. “Audrey was admired individual. It is exactly because of this that
Within the high-stress environment of Bar- for her accomplishments,” Johnston continues, Audrey’s kind of beauty still resonates with nard College, we seem to apply this sense of “-- poise, grooming, wit, style and a knowledge women today and why, as Keogh described it, the actress’s humanity, her effortlessness and of foreign languages; she could probably play the “Audrey is still showing us how it’s done.”
“Audrey’s effortlessness and natural beauty can be seen as a welcome contrast to the contrived, almost tortured kind of contemporary beauty, with painful procedures and false parts galore.”
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
8$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
POLITICS & OPINION HEADLINE, BOTTOM LINE By Laura Baron
Supercommittee Bellyflops On November 21st, the Supercommittee announced that it would fail to meet its pre Thanksgiving deadline to find a solution to the debt crisis. Senator Patty Murray (DWA) and Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) co-chaired the commission, but were unable to find a bipartisan solution that would eliminate the required $1.2 trillion fromthe budget over the next decade. The follow-up action will
Ready, Aim, Win! The American military now owns 57
Over the course of the semester, we’ve
unmanned drones, up from 1 in 2001.
watched candidates for the Republican pres-
These units have been deployed to areas
idential nomination build their campaigns
like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
and carve out their reputations through
Libya in both warfare and counterterror-
speeches and debates across the country.
ism campaigns. They are controlled by
As politicians are bound to do, they’ve had
remote from airbases and used to target
their fair share of blunders. Several women
enemies while keeping home troops out
came forward in November to accuse
of harm’s way.
Herman Cain of sexual harassment, and
BOTTOM LINE
be to automatically activate across-theboard budget cuts designed to trim equally from domestic and defense budgets.
BOTTOM LINE The
committee continued the facade
of commissioning two sides to work together while each clung to party ideology. Members were chosen by party leaders on their likelihood of doing just that, rather than on their ability to negotiate compromise. And in this political system (in a democracy) where politicians must cater to their constituents and their sponsors, long-term solutions often fall flat in the face of short-term interests. A conception of a “bipartisan solution” seems to be fading fast into a kind of budget utopia that anyone may claim to advocate but no one acts to create. At stake are jobs, welfare, and military funds--each holding different values to different individuals--but even the repercussions of not meeting the deadline, which could prove devastating to both sides, does not goad the polarized parties into compromise.
Reality TV
The proliferation of these drones is condemned by human rights groups, many of which criticize the way it enables airstrikes, making civilian casualties more likely by removing the individual from warfare. This “dehumanization” of conflict is viewed as a way to increase the ease of military power to create asymmetrical warfare, in which one side is heavily advantaged by technology and is fighting the battle far from its own grounds, as is the case of the US’ military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Libya. A recent ad for the American Air Force depicts a scary, Ender’s Game-like capability of waging war from the controls of a video game. “It’s not science fiction,” the ad reads. “It’s what we do every day.” The “press of a button” has been associated with widespread devastation since the A-bomb and the Cold War, but now that technology is fine-tuning this into the ability to target individuals, the deadliness becomes more subtle and disconcerting in a new way.
Rick Perry’s loopy, questionably inebriated speech given in New Hampshire fed Youtube hits and SNL. Michele Bachmann asserted the importance of female submission to husbands’ dominance, then backtracked by claiming she misunderstood the definition of “submission.” Ron Paul sticks to his guns on a number of varying issues that don’t seem to subscribe to one party or the other: he condemns Republican and former Vice President Dick Cheney of being a chicken-hawk who avoided the draft only to become one of the “champions of senseless and undeclared wars,” he believes marriage, which includes whether it’s straight or gay, belongs to personal choice and not government mandate, opposes abortion, and take “fiscal conservative” to the point of advocating the abolition of the Federal Reserve.
BOTTOM LINE These blunders aren’t news; they’ve been going on all semester. As we get ready for the break, look forward to another season of blunders and embarrassing-silly-or-startling quotes as the debates continue to heat up. If you’re in favor of the Republic ethos: I’m sorry, and I hope that a candidate, anyone, proves his or her intelligence, for your sake.
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
9$$*+#,#-%#.$/011
Ben & Jerry’s Gets Political By Elyse Liora Pitock
S
cience says climate change is real. Mor- and you decided to become gay? When people cal as the Westboro Baptist Church are allowed als say sexual abuse is a crime. And talk about corporate America polluting our to say what they want. So to give credit where common sense says that ice cream is, society, this is the kind of stuff they’re talking credit is true, OMM isn’t doing anything wrong.
by nature, just fun—until the national pastime about: gay recruitment.
Yes, the sexualization of ads for sweaters and
of making every issue a partisan issue contin-
Even more terrifying than the idea of 21st bubble gum is absurd, perhaps even damagues with the recent debate surrounding Ben century Americans thinking that homosexual- ing. If OMM believes that companies like Tarand Jerry’s latest flavor, Schweddy Balls.
ity is a choice is OMM’s success stories. These get and Ben and Jerry’s are truly destroying the Schweddy Balls pays homage to Alec Bald- mostly revolve around getting ads pulled (“JC moral fiber of America, then fine.
win’s innuendo-ridden Saturday Night Live Penney announced they would no longer air a
However, the intolerance evident in OMM’s
skit from the late 90’s. Baldwin plays bakery new commercial using sex to sell men’s cloth- mission statement proves that organizations owner Pete Schweddy, who takes great pride in ing”). They also take credit for the cancellation like these are the ones that are really hurting of the NBC show “The Playboy Club.” Their our children. OMM seems to be more con-
!"#$%&'(('$%#$%)#$*'+% ,$''-#.%#,%*/''01%12*% 23#4-'-%(14*%-4*0#5$*'67
main strategy targets advertisers and spon- cerned with systematically bringing down freesors of shows that corrupt children by recruit- dom of expression in the American media and ing them to become gay, and other bad things less concerned with the well-being of their chiltoo.
dren, who will likely grow up to be every bit as Clearly, Ben and Jerry’s politics are not in bigoted as their parents.
line with OMM’s. Other controversial and/or political ice cream flavors have included his popcorn balls, cheese balls, and rum balls, “Hubby Hubby” (in support of the saying, “Noone can resist my Schweddy balls.” legalization of gay marriage in High comedy? Perhaps not, but certainly not Vermont), “Stephen Colbert’s the most offensive thing to appear on SNL. Americone Dream” The conservative activist group One Million (“the sweet taste of libMoms (OMM), dedicated to “[stopping] the erty in your mouth”), exploitation of our children,” has taken great and “Yes Pecan” (a offense to Schweddy Balls. “The vulgar new riff on Obama’s 2008 flavor has turned something as innocent as ice campaign slogan, “Yes cream into something repulsive,” reads their We Can”). As a sort of alstatement. “Not exactly what you want a child ternative ice cream vender, it asking for at the supermarket.”
is important for Ben and Jerry’s
idea of the kind of organization this is, one of is, say, Edy’s. If the company isn’t OMM’s current projects rails against Target afraid of losing a consumer base,
and Degrassi, because “Not only is Teen Nick it’s their prerogative to call their ice featuring a show that encourages the nation’s cream whatever they want. youth to embrace alternate lifestyles, but the
Over the past few decades, up-
family retail chain Target is helping through ward mobility and “the American sponsorship….They are openly recruiting dream” have been debunked as myths teens and children to become ‘gay.’”
of the American narrative. For better or
Remember that time Target recruited you worse, freedom of speech has avoided this discourse, and even groups as radi!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
!$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Image courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s
Vulgar? Repulsive? This is ice cream we’re to distinguish themselves from talking about, not The Tudors. To give you an the more traditional vender that
Madame President hy didn’t Hillary Clinton win was once herself a Senator).
dential races.
the 2008 Democratic nomina-
The private sector has seen its own share of There’s also a social component of the tion? Hillary Clinton just had a growth in female participation. In the last few president’s wife that has expanded the breadth lot going against her. Not only is she married weeks, the number of female CEOs of Fortune of women’s political activity and changed the to the man with arguably the largest infidelity 500 is the highest it’s ever been. Even though, nature of the presidential couple. The “First
scandal in American history, but she was also at 18, the number doesn’t seem like a lot, the Lady” position has gone through an evolution up against Obama. Each of these candidates corporate world is a realm that shows the gen- in our history. The title of First Lady began was tied to a historically unrepresented demo- der divide the most strongly, so even this de- more as a public figure than a political actor; graphic, and some saw it as a competition of velopment is meaningful. It acts as a relevant during these phases the first lady was expected which group could get the vote, rather than example of the strength of the glass ceiling, as to put on events and provide decorum to her which individual. The two candidates project- businesses respond to market demands and an husband’s office. Then the First Lady became ed vastly divergent images: while President increasing supply of college-educated women a political activist; these women would take Obama came across as cool and optimistic, pushing out weary stereotypes. Although there on causes that weren’t particularly controverpeople somehow got stuck on how they sial like Lady Bird Johnson and environmendidn’t like Hillary Clinton’s suits. Hillary
JK0$#,(L,(M38(*"%( support, but she didn’t mobilize the popula03N,(3(-,M3#,(#,3?O tion to vote. Obama had the speaking power ,5P(#$6,(M3*8("%0,5( to arouse enthusiasm in the country’s younger &"7*%5$,'(?"P(L,(35,( citizens, and his campaign outdid Hillary’s to $*(*"(L38(L$%0"7%( gain the nomination. Does Hillary Clinton’s losing the Demo- alumn, -,M3#,(#,3?,5'($*( Photography by Barnard Kate Ryan !"#$%$&'>Q cratic Party nomination to President Obama Clinton had a lot of the older population’s
tal protection and beautification, and Rosalynn Carter helping mentally disabled people. More recently, first ladies have assumed more politicized and active: Nancy Reagan started a drug awareness campaign, Hillary Clinton aimed to reform the healthcare system, and Michelle Obama has worked to start legislation about childhood nutrition. This shift is a less obvious, but still a very important mo-
mean that our country isn’t ready for a fe-
ment towards women asserting a place in ac-
male president? No, it doesn’t. It just means
tive political participation.
that we’re looking for the right candidate, and is a lower number of women in high positions
Although we have not had a female presiand women’s pay is, on average, lower than dent yet, it’s not because our country isn’t Michelle Bachman is another woman look- men’s, these statistics are changing. The fact ready for a women to hold executive office. ing for the top position in America. However, that women currently outnumber men in col- Our culture has been working towards this Hillary didn’t fit the bill in 2008.
she’s unpopular in the polls and will probably lege will probably lead to more women in the moment, opening the door slowly but surely not get the 2012 Republican party nomina- work place than ever before, and more women for this very occurrence. But, we’re not gotion. Again, it won’t be because she’s a woman, making their way up to the increasingly high- ing to vote for a candidate just because of her it will be because people don’t believe in her er-level positions in business. politics or that she’s the right individual for
!"#$%$&'()("!$*$"*
the job.
gender; she has to be the right candidate for
The shift indicates that the more that wom- the job. People said we could never have an en take these positions, the more it will con- African-American president, but Obama’s ad-
While we may not have a female leader, tinue to happen. The number of Forbes 500 ept political skill challenged those who didn’t like many other countries do, we are in no female CEOS has been quickly rising. And as believe it could happen. The world as a whole
way without female leaders in politics. In the the business world changes, so does the politi- is welcoming female executive leaders more 112th Congress, eleven percent of the House cal one, albeit in the slower pace that it tends and more, from German Chancellor Angela of Representatives are female, and thirty-four to adopt. The number of women in Congress Merkel to Argentinian President Cristina Ferpercent of the Senate is female (Hilary Clinton is getting larger and larger every session, and nandez de Kirchner, and it’s only a matter of women participate increasingly in the presi- time before the United States follows suit.
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
al$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
+,-%(%"(.$/0%1(2*/,#3(4,56,#(&"75%,'8("-(9:;<<=>?,(3*?(@05$'%$*3(A,5*3*?,B(?,(C$&0*,5(D8(E"5/,(F3,*B(G2HI
W
By: Katie Donham
SHE SAID - SHE SAID This issue, two writers consider Michelle Bachmann’s potentially presidential candidacy. Should she be taken seriously as a potential presidential candidate? Ultimately, both writers choose “No.” Bachmann has fallen considerably in the polls since early summer, and her whirlwind romance with the ultra-right wing appears to have gone sour. Still, should we take Michelle Bachmann and her politics seriously, or view her as an innocuous caricature with no capacity to make a meaningful impact? I’m going to be blunt: Michele
*$+, !""#$%&'%()
-+.""($)*+/
)01*
the Tea Party love in
NO
Bachmann has absolutely no
a woman – a pretty
chance of earning the Republican
face and an airhead.
presidential nomination. I would
Bachmann is the type of woman
love to see a woman hold executive that we at Barnard abhor – the
YES
office, but like the last woman to
dimwit who got by on her looks
Eleven months away from
infamy, could unintentionally
be featured on the Republican
and foolish charms. Conserva-
the general election, Michelle
increase perception of her as a
presidential ticket, Sarah Palin,
tives have used this ploy before
Bachmann is simply a carica-
legitimate candidate.
Bachmann has absolutely no
– think Sarah Palin and Christine
chance of breaking that stubborn
O’Donnell – as a way to appear
ture used to enliven debates and animate discussion among pundits. 23 percent of Republicans favor Mitt Romney. These supporters could be weary Rea-
Impeached by her pant suits and consistently called ‘shrill’ by opponents, Hillary Clinton received considerably less misogy-
coveted glass ceiling in Washington. Bachmann’s embarrassing
nism than Bachmann. Does a
video clips have become the
woman have to be exceptionally
fodder of political pundits and
smart to absolve her from sexist
YouTube enthusiasts alike.
and anti-feminist judgments?
From her declaration that the
Surely a male politician has
Gardasil HPV vaccine can
publicly indulged in a phallus
cause mental retardation
intervention through natural
shaped food item, but the image
to her admittance that she
a vaguely conservative agenda,
shot. If only Republicans were
submissive to their hus-
as horrified by feminism as they
bands, Bachmann doesn’t have
gan Democrats or Neo-Nazis. Three percent of Republicans favor Michelle Bachmann, and we know exactly what they support- a pittance for minimum wage and divine
disasters. Which is more alarm- to the right would never be seen ing- relatively broad support for by as many as Bachmann’s snapor three percent of Republicans
firmly and actively convinced of are by homosexuality. dangerously antiquated politics? Bachmann’s persistent visibility and nominal support is potentially damaging. Perhaps buoyed by the ridiculousness of her politics, her flamboyantly off-the-cuff remarks receive as much air time as her decidedly
Michelle Bachmann allows for self-aggrandizement on the left and makes her opponents
or public presence to be the next President. While arch-conservatives and the religious right-wing may love her, Republicans are not exclu-
externally damaging affect. Her
sively Tea Partiers hell-bent upon
hard line stance, flouted by her
dragging America into the Dark
opponents, may ultimately be
Ages. These are the Republicans
in 2008, he gained a 4 percent
lens is well taken in this context. lead over Barack Obama. A Vice Instead of Bachmann’s compe- President Bachmann is no trivisibility, even as a result of her
the intelligence, common sense,
Still, her rhetoric may have an
Real Candidates of Capital Hill” John McCain’s announcement of Sarah Palin as a running mate that politics are increasingly
tence earning her visibility, her
Bible says women should be
on the right appear level headed.
more refined competitors. Cha- co-opted and used to enhance na Tolchin’s observation in “The the Republican ticket. Following
viewed through a reality-TV
studied tax law because the
umph for the Democratic Party.
- Amanda Duberman !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
progressive without actually finding an intelligent woman who can think for herself. I’d love to see a woman enter America’s highest office, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it be Michelle Bachmann before Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi. I could even grudgingly accept Condo-
leezza Rice because I respect her who will never vote for Bachmann political aptitude. For now I’ll have and will settle for a wishy-washy to continue disregarding Michele Mitt Romney or a (gasp!) rational Jon Huntsman. Beyond moderate America’s obvious disgust toward her, I have a more personal reason to refute Michele Bachmann. She represents everything the backwards men of
am$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Bachmann and cross my fingers, hoping for a female candidate in 2016 that embodies everything Geraldine Ferraro fought for in the eighties--respect for formidable women in national politics. - Laura Garrison
NEW YORK CITY LIVING Procrastination:
By Gloria Noel and Maitland Quitmeyer
{
Getting a head start on falling behind
W
e may embody the Butler archetype at our best in the semester, but at our worst, our study buns are coming undone and online shopping takes
precedence over reams of JSTOR articles. Yet when midterms last from syllabus week to finals week and when work snowballs faster than the great Halloweekend Blizzard of 2011, who can blame us for taking a break (or two)?
Procrastination– it’s inevitable. Professors, parents, and psychologists caution us to stay on task throughout the semester. While they claim that focused study is more rewarding (and certainly healthier) than its alternative, this advice is far from tried and true for the average college student. Dr. Timothy Pychyl, psychologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, has studied the connection between social media use and productivity among college students and identifies Facebook, Twitter, and StumbleUpon as the cause of the downfall of work ethic. Unfortunately, for Barnard Students, social media are only the tip of the iceberg. Our procrastination habits are much quirkier than simply logging on and checking in. When a problem set is looming and a discussion post is due on CourseWorks, we get creative. So the next time procrastination hits, undoubtedly at the start of reading week, try a new recipe or invest in a hula hoop. Rally up a group of Barnard girls who are similarly staring at their computers or scrubbing away at dishes while Foucault or econometrics waits for them. Get away from your computers, your mountains of books, and your beds to do something else. The
!"#$%&'($)*+%$,*-*!.
work will eventually be done, right?
T BARNARD8&7+$ OVERHEARD#A 51+$6$+5&7.5+$1
/0"$12("3$4"$ $+5"$ 6$+1,("3$18&7+ 9'""($:*;"$1!3$ !)*1,$)'*2*2>? <7'&="1!$;*!1
!"#$%&''#!()$*$
!"#$%
234536789:6894:$"6;987 $4<$%63:63=$>8?=@:87
}
1
Doing Something Creative Those with an artistic edge crochet, draw, sing, or find the perfect playlist of study music. While Hannah Goldstein, BC’12, dreams about the creative endeavors she would like to pursue in her free time like sculpture and creative writing, Maitland Quitmeyer, BC ’14, swears by an eight track of film scores and Disney themes to set the tone for her (eventual) work. It’s the process of finding the appropriate tunes, however, that takes the longest.
2
Exercise
Who said that all college students do is nap and eat junk food? Under the pressure of work and deadlines, many Barnard students turn to exercise, proving that Millie is truly one fit bear. While some bike for miles at the gym, others do laps around the quad or throw impromptu dance parties to keep the blood flowing. Above all, a casual walk on the Upper West Side or across Central Park provides many with a sense of accomplishment, fatigue, and a reminder of the great city that surrounds us.
Bothering roommates/Floor mates Lura Chamberlain, BC ’12, admits to hula hooping in her suite, an antic that drives her roommate crazy from time to time. When not hula hooping, she spends time talking to and distracting her roommate– something familiar to all of us. “Hey, have you seen this YouTube video?”
Cooking
4
When exercise fails, Lura turns to cooking, a hobby shared by Deanna Bennett, BC’14. Why go to Hewitt or John Jay when you can spend hours perfecting pasta sauce? Bonus procrastination points go to taking extra efforts to buy obscure ingredients and pressing garlic without a garlic press.
Cleaning The most common procrastination habit, cited by an overwhelming number of Barnard students as most fulfilling and time consuming? Cleaning. “I would clean the whole world,” one anonymous student sheepishly confesses. Judith Zackson, a student at Teacher’s College, further admits that vacuuming and windex-ing are only appealing to her when she has a paper due.
an$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Second Time Around By Maitland Quitmeyer Living in a city like New York, there are temptations everywhere when it comes to shopping. Buying secondhand or
0%$'()D%E'()",4(F5D C'%*5#./(B,5/'$ 1356(78A?($5(79?
vintage clothing and accessories can either clean out your wallet or save you bundles, depending on where you go and on your willingness to bargain. But when you’re tired of wearing the same Urban Outfitters sweater as everyone else on campus, it may be time to look for one-of-a-kind and gently-used treasures around the city. The fun of second-hand clothing extends far beyond its walletfriendliness. I love putting on a dress I know someone (who I imagine to be very fabulous) has worn before. Next time you are pressed for cash or need a wardrobe overhaul, consider selling that blazer you never wear but scored you that job in-
B+%#',(C',$ 9?$+()$(@%3%&' 7?:
terview, or that pair of shoes that are too small but did get you that guy’s phone number. Someone else might find them lucky as well.
!"#$%&'()%$*+', -',,./(0"$*+'#(1,'%(2%34'$ 1356(789:($5(7;: <)=(>%33"#&/ 9?$+()$(@%3%&' 7A:
!"#$%&'(G%HI%#()J#&,%//'/ 2%#+%$$%#(!"#$%&'()+5K 79?
Try one of these college budget friendly locations next time you need to leave the Barnard/Columbia bubble! Beacon’s Closet’s two locations
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on
The Antiques Garage is located
Stella Dallas Vintage (218
(the big’un in Brooklyn and the
39th Street (between Ninth and
on West 25th Street (between
Thompson Street) in the Village
boutique in Union Square) are
Tenth Avenues) is relatively small, Sixth and Seventh Avenues)
has a great selection of boots, bags,
meccas for college students on
but definitely worth the trip.
and is also open from 9-5 every
and dresses that are reasonably
a budget. When you get tired of
Open from 9-5 every Saturday
Saturday and Sunday. Don’t let
priced. When you have the urge to
last season’s mustard pea coat,
and Sunday, it is the perfect week- the fact that it’s in a garage put
go more Mad Men than boho-chic,
bring it in to sell it for 35-55% of
end jaunt for any Barnard girl.
look no further.
you off—this flea market is chock
the ticket price, or trade it for the Some of the hot items include
full of treasures in a wide variety
wide variety of second-hand and
fur coats, leather satchels, and
of price ranges. I recently bought
consignment items that Beacon’s
costume jewelry. Don’t miss the
a pair of gorgeous signed YSL
Closet carries. Favorite haul items paintings– starting at 20 bucks,
vintage earrings for 60 bucks, but
include Michael Kors booties for
when I went with Gloria Noel, BC
they can really liven up a dorm
less than $30 and a vintage Nicole room for cheap.
’14, the other week, we bargained
Miller dress for under $20.
one vendor down to three pairs of earrings for $12. !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
ao
*$+#,#-%#.$/011
YEAR OF THE LAURA - Let’s face it: the weather’s getting anyone?
slut
By Laura & Alexa move on your high school crush!
colder, the procrastination you’ve been able to pull off all semester has now turned on you with a vengeance, and it’s getting harder to justify a sexy night on the town with all work you have to catch up on (i.e. getting into bed with a jar of peanut butter to watch Hulu and Netflix until your eyes start to burn).
Anyway, we love movies like “The Holiday” and “Love Actually” because they provide us with a two-hour slice of delicious romanticcomedy heaven, but don’t let them get you down if your own love life isn’t Nora Ephron material. Here is a list of reasons why staying single in the final months of the Year of the Slut If that sad image didn’t cement our point, is more fun than being in a fantasy relationship we know how hard it is to maintain the positive with Ryan Gosling, or even a real life one. YOTS attitude 365 days of the year, especially You’d never know it, but couples are jealous during the holiday season. If you’re feeling of your single status. Many couples will inevidown about not having someone to kiss under tably fight or break up under the pressure of the twinkly lights of College Walk, let us first making the holiday season “the most wonderful say that it’s not your fault! Hollywood has de- time of the year.” Save yourself the heartbreak luded us into believing that our soul mate will by not getting involved with someone in the magically appear in time for the perfect New first place. Year’s Eve kiss. While these movies are my abHoliday parties = more YOTS opportunities! solute favorite to watch, they can lead to eternal Make the most of getting all dressed up and get heartbreak without some good ol’ New York your flirt on. There will be alcohol, mistletoe, cynicism! Has there ever been a Hollywood and/or “Spin The Dreidel” (think, Spin the Botblockbuster in which the gorgeous, smart, tle), so you have no excuse! single lady stays single and happy throughout Heading home for the holidays? Make a the entire movie? Hmmm...YOTS screenplay,
True story: Over fall break, I was looking through old pictures and found a bunch from my junior prom. My date, B., was by far the cutest senior in my school, so as you can imagine, I was ecstatic to be his date (and as a junior, no less!) Unfortunately, B. had made out with one of my closest friends the year before, and at a small high school, this made him off limits. We went as friends and had an awesome time. Flash forward five years later, we are both single (according to Facebook) and he is even hotter as a 23 year old than he was as a high school dream boat. B and I will definitely be hanging out over break and I can’t wait to see him. Preferably naked.
ALEXA - It’s the most wonderful time of the year ladies... Time to let your stockings be flung by the chimney without care! Aside from all of the sexy red lingerie in stores (yes, in addition to being a slut I’m also an underwear-whore-- you’d be surprised how much confidence a good pair of panties can give you), here’s why I’m happy to be single going into the holiday season this year:
with your family, and an even better chance that any relationship you’re in at this point and beyond, will require compromising on your childhood traditions. Anyone with older siblings like I have can probably tell you that they may get a day, maybe an overnight, to be ‘home for the holidays’ because of work, or significant other, or the dog they left at home. Be the kid while you can.
I was 19 years old, in love, and it was Christmastime. I wanted to further solidify my status as best girlfriend ever by finding the perfect gift. The year before I had given him an overindulgent money clip (which he still uses), so this year it would be: a too-nice watch. I spent a good few weeks researching the perfect one to buy for my still-underage boyfriend; I asked
I’m not trying to claim that Laura and I won’t I’ve missed out on too much mistletoe in the feel the pangs of loneliness at some point, or past. Not happening this year. several points, throughout the holidays-- it IS nice to have a cuddle-buddy-- but do you really want the wrong person around during this Fa-la-la-la Family Time! special time? Me neither. College is four short years. That means only Happiest wishes for the holidays, wherever in four, even shorter, winter breaks. After you the world you may celebrate them, and we’ll see graduate there’s a really spectacular chance that you in the spring with plenty of new slutacious you’ll never again have as much time to be home escapades to share!
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
($$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Illustration by Rhea Schmid
!"#$%&'($)*+%$,*-*!.
Imma savin’ money!
my brothers for their thoughts and looked for pictures of sexy guys with sexy watches, and finally came to a decision. I won’t tell you how much I spent, but I will tell you it was way too much for the thanks that I got, and probably also too much for whatever gift he gave to me, which I pathetically can’t even remember. Bottom line: I should have gotten him a Swatch, and you should be happy to save your hard-earned money, or at least to spend it on yourself!
In This F!cking Economy By Jessica Siegel By XXXX
By Maeve Kelly
Top 6 Colors to Try
We all deserve a little weekend pampering, and nothing soothes the hectic mind like a peaceful and lustrous manicure. So gather your girlfriends for the afternoon, and unwind on a college student’s budget. Are you a salon newcomer? No worries—we’d love to point you in the right direction.
Right Now
Pinky Nail Salon
Location: 90th Street Price Range: $10-15 Vibe: Cozy with modern red accents
!""#$%&'()*%+,-.$/0 !"#$"%&'(%)*(%&*+#)$
Uptown girls flock to this inexpensive, bright and spacious salon. Pinky’s pampers its guests from the moment they walk through the door—sink into a comfy waiting room chair, grab the nearest People Magazine and soak up the cozy ambiance of this local favorite. Treat yourself to a winter special that consists of an extra moisturizing treatment and soothing hand and arm rub. Budget-
6788$,%9-)*-)%&:(5#"0 8*(%9*'+%(+2:#(#*)20 ;-+#.(12.%$+"")
conscious ladies also praise the salon for its considerate prices. 4;()$5%&<,(.;#8$0 <%=*0*+%(-2(>00%/*+3 200%/#)("+
Twenty One
Location: 79th and Columbus Price Range: $15-$20 Vibe: Trendy with quality service Immerse yourself in the friendly and iconic surroundings of this Upper West Side sanctuary. Located across from the Museum of Natural History, this full-service spa has chic Upper West Siders undeniably hooked on its quality care and picturesque location. The $15 manicure is the best spa bargain, but a little waxing will also satisfy your modest budget. Before you head home, pamper your taste buds
1(,"%&2$*0 ,-#.%/#00%123" 42)(2%&0'.-5
at one of the cafes sprinkled throughout the neighborhood.
Polished Beauty Bar
Location: 78th Street Price Range: $12-15 Vibe: Sparkling interior with free WiFi 1(#5"%=)>?%3$8(55#> <%)"/%(+"):%(*%(+9% 2(%0"2.(%*)="
Unwind with the salon’s trademark “polished” treatment. Drop by for an affordable $12 manicure—for those with more flexible budgets, kick back in the massage chair for a $30 signature pedicure and receive a complimentary manicure. This special applies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only. The tran-
!""#$%&3$,#)-%4--50
quil journey will most likely end too soon!
6'+70"%$*".%)'"(+20
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
)$$*+#,#-%#.$/011
Lights, Camera, Attractions
A
By Safa Siddiqui s the holiday season approaches, the Big Apple begins to resemble a perpetually spinning snow-
globe full of energy, long lines, and a sea of
Photography by Emily Mo
flash photography. It’s the perfect time of year to sample the collective spirit of everything distinctly New York and to visit those “Top Ten” attractions you never got around to seeing. Once you head to those popular destinations, however, it can be hard to stay afloat and hold onto your wallet at the same time.
ore
You want to enjoy NYC without sacrificing time, money and interest? Here are some suggestions:
Times Square The “Crossroads of the World”, Times Square, is the center chamber of the NYC beehive—and the large swarm of tourists actually adds to the excitement. It’s the perfect place for people to listen to the melodies of many languages and savor the sights of a neon landscape. Buy some iridescent purple M&Ms from the official M&M store, take a picture with a (wax) celebrity, or just walk around. You won’t be disappointed.
The Staten Island Ferry You’ve seen the top of the Apple (?Big Apple? Home Run Apple at Citi Field?), but how about a side profile? The free Staten Island ferry ride offers a relaxing 25minute ride across the New York Harbor,
Magnolia Bakery
providing a view of the skyline of lower Manhattan and the Statue of
Sample the famous bakery’s holiday themed, winter oriented treats
Liberty. Avoid the morning and evening ferry frenzy by picking an
like pumpkin whoopie pies, red velvet cheesecake and the quintes-
off-peak hour to enjoy the ambience. Instead of waiting on a long line
sential cup of hot cocoa-– food to warm the soul.
to pay $36 for the Circle Line, why not opt for the short, sweet and
The Top of the Rock Observation Deck
FREE Staten Island Ferry?
Currently the #1 NYC tourist attraction on Trip Advisor, the Top of
Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair
the Rock delivers all the beauty of New York with one convenient $25 ticket. From a stunning view of a gilded, sun-kissed skyline by
The annual New York Times Holiday Fair held at the 12,000 square foot Vanderbilt Hall (off the Main Concourse) from November 15th to
!"#$%&'($)*+%$,*-*!.
Dec 24th provides an entertaining shopping experience with 76 vendors selling clothing, accessories, and home décor, among other wares.
The New York Botanical Garden Despite Old Man Winter’s creeping steps, the garden is as youthful as ever! Enjoy the delightful miniature Holiday Train Show (November 19th-January 16th $20), featuring NYC landmarks (like Yankee Stadium, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge) made out of plant parts. Compliment this beloved tradition with a visit to the charming gift shop and some gingersnaps.
day to a heart-stopping glimpse of a city of luminescent glitter by night, the observation deck never fails to please. Now, with a timed ticket option, you too can relish the picture-perfect panoramic views without the long wait.
The Guggenheim & The Met Satisfy your art cravings with new exhibits like Kandinsky’s “Painting with White Border” or riveting Picasso sketches at the Guggenheim (the building is a piece of art itself). Then walk across the street and lose yourself at The Met. With online tickets and recommended donation options, the wait is minimal and the cost affordable. The experience: priceless.
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
*$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
and put into F’s endearingly suburban Dr. Seuss backpack. P and I have the typical grown-up morning conversation and F asks me if I have pretzels. Or Goldfish. Or apple juice. At this point she lists every edible item I have ever given her just in case, incidentally, I did indeed bring half a Nutrigrain bar today. Ascending from the subway, the bus is either waiting for us or twenty minutes away. This generally depends on P’s list of critically important issues that needed to be explained to the teachers. F woke up ten minutes early so she may be slight-
BABYSITTING !"#$"%&
ly narcoleptic. F’s brother sneezed this morning so she should probably
I
on the east side. Ladies, who from sartorial observation I discern are
be monitored for Scarlett fever. Or, every now and then, F needs to be picked up 15 minutes early for her acupuncture appointment.
!""#$%&'%()*+,-+.'-"'+/0$&)120$
The M72 traverses the bridge between East and West- a shift imperceptible to some and apocalyptic to others. Banking victims relegated to
Babysitting in Manhattan is nothing if not a crash course in the art of white lying.
the bus by the recession begin to consider the ill advised logic of living
am a catastrophic thinker, and for cardiac reasons should probably not accustomed to public transit, ask the driver for a oral history of the not be vested with the responsibility of carting a three year old under bus route. and above ground through New York City. Still, thrice weekly I can
F’s parents are generally hostile to any American exceptionalist abbe found depositing a precocious three year old into the receptacle that breviation of her four-syllable German moniker. Upon our arrival to is the Manhattan private preschool. “F” is the first attempt at progeny of a school, we are greeted by false pronunciations of F’s name, which fearesearch psychologist via Frankfurt and an unmistakable Brearley alum. tures prominently the throat lacerating German ‘r’ They have deemed my remnants of German fluency from a semester abroad and short babysitting resume as sufficient to bring their little one to preschool every morning. The Upper East Side location is quite prohibitive. This is where I come in. Phase one of my mission, retrieval of child, is the most stressful event. The eleven block trudge to F’s apartment is methodical, swift, and precise. I pile my hair on top of my head as far away from my smoking hand as possible, and start the descent down Broadway- not too hastily but
*
!23$4536*72633$8497:9;397$:<$;3936=>>?$=9$ =<<467@397$4A$,=6:BB3=9$!"!!#$%$=9C$ @4@<$D:72$E36A387$2:;2>:;27<$=9C$?4;=$ =6@<F$G36?$:9A63HI397>?J$72363$:<$=$C:<* 8369:B>?$&$''#(#$)$A=7236$D24$2=<$A46;47* 749$74$E=8K$2:<$82:>CL<$,:7363>>=$>I982=B>3F
+
with enough velocity to create the wind to dispel the smoke from my morning Marlboro. Despite the frigid New York mornings, I wait until 108th street to put on a scarf to mask whatever scent has insidiously attached itself , threatening to reduce my credibility.
School officially begins at noon-but the teachers, unnecessarily elu-
My entire perception of humanity relies on what happens when we sive and militantly punctual, absolutely will not open the door a second board the Downtown 1 train. About a third of the time, there will be too soon. The over-three contingent is generally an assortment of Caribempty seats-and I can carry on my day believing that people are lovely bean nannies and moms with perfect highlights and yoga arms. Very and ascetic and would have offered a seat given the opportunity. Almost infrequently, there is a discernibly terrified father who has forgotton to every other time, someone who is minimally considerate and paying at- pack his child’s Citerella lunchable. By the minute, the toddlers become tention will stand up and offer the wobbly three year old a seat (an or- ever more lucid of the pending separation from their caretakers. Voices ange one, God willing. She hates the yellow seats). Every now and then, rise, tears fall. A teacher will finally unlock the door-which is the most no one will move an inch. Not even the slightest suggestion of anyone ill advised piece of engineering in the city, opening outward miniature who might be standing up. No gesturing to reach for the bar or disin- humans, overeager nannies, and under-caffeinated nannies inch backgenuous mouthing of ‘Want to sit?’ Hedonism manifests most visibly on wards as the less fit are trapped behind the door. New York Public Transit.
If F seems settled and I’ve checked my pockets for binkies, tissues,
Among Germany’s many exports is P, the nanny. P characterizes Ger- and other residual child material, I abandon the mommy discussions man efficiency, and the precision of her domestic assembly line rivals the of recitals and episiotomies and re-enter the world of premarital bliss. Fordian model. The children are always methodically yet tenderly pre- I shamefully display my student ID so those around me don’t assume pared to face the day. One inch cubes of Au Bon Pain bread is blanketed I’m a career nanny and ask for my information- in which case I’d have by of Zabar’s aged Piave, neatly tucked into a Rice to Riches container to become acquainted with a whole new set of familial idiosyncrasies. !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
+$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Kickstarting Creativity
y by h p a ogr Phot C â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;14 & in, C , BC â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;13 w o h L Thill azine a k e Reb Vanessa on Mag alc y of H
Ever experienced that light bulb moment when artistic vision and innovation marry to make a one-of-a-kind idea? What happens when the cold, hard reality of insufficient cash flow threatens to break up the perfect union? Look no further than Kickstarter.
by Olivia Alymer
A
s the world’s largest online platform
payments system. Not only does the process zine, which advertised their own Kickstarter
for creative projects, from small
take time, but the program itself takes 5% of the campaign on their Facebook page. While Hoot
films to full-scale publications, Kick- final contributions if the goal is met. If a project attained $500 grant from the CUarts Gatsby
starter encourages creators to dream big. Of
does not ultimately reach its goal, there’s zero Charitable Foundation to fund the printing
course, “dreaming big” often involves an even
risk of monetary loss. Still, the system works of the premiere issue, it also called on Kick-
bigger price tag.
because it motivates people to spread the word starter’s services and continues to do so—they
far and wide as they watch their project come launched another campaign this month to help With a few clicks of a mouse, project creators to life. As HALCYON soon learned, grassroots pay for the printing of their glossy publication. set realistic fundraising goals which they must efforts need to factor into the plan not only for meet before time runs out—until then, no mon- financial cushioning, but to make the most ey changes hands. Kickstarter does not invest in effective use of the Kickstarter philosophy. or lend money to the projects themselves; rather, it serves as a cyber-sized megaphone, spread-
“In addition to our fundraising on the
ing the word to friends, family, and followers site, we plan on running a few other pub-
!
of the site who then donate to the projects. licity campaigns, among them a vigorous weekly bake-sale program—yes, yes, vigorous is Of course, communication with donors plays the correct descriptor. We're quite serious about a lead role. Project creators come up with cre- our brownie-baking, which we implemented ative, tangible, and fairly priced rewards should at the beginning of September,” Lowin says. their visions come to fruition. Dinner with the “We've already raised upwards of $3,000 with cast, thanks in the credits, collaborations with Kickstarter, and our goal was set to $1,000.” the artists themselves—the more interactive, the more effective, When it comes to inspir-
Logging on to Kickstarter and clicking on
!"#$%&'(&)(*%)(+)%* '%*'*#,-)(.%"/)0* 1)2'3456)7* %3()'0"62*&4)* 85(0*&5*9(")60%7* 9'1":,7*'60*95:. :58)(%*59*&4)*%"&)* 845*&4)6*056'&)* &5*&4)*3(5;)#&%<
"
ing others to stand behind an idea, Kickstarter Discover Projects encourages users to “Start promotes creativity in every step of the process. exploring.” As they do, they find a diverse assortment of projects, with the percent funded,
One does not need to search far to find amount pledged, and days left to reach their a group of resourceful individuals who rec- fundraising goals illustrated by a green bar
Hoot’s
current
editor-in-chief,
Anna Cooperberg, also recognized ognized the benefit of such a site. On both at the bottom. Similar to a Facebook profile, that without Kickstarter, their second issue sides of Broadway, Kickstarter has helped each project’s Kickstarter "page" can be modiwould not have come to fruition. At the time, to fund students’ ideas; most recently, the fied to fit the groups' wants and needs, while they were not including ads in the magazine. newly launched undergraduate photogra- still maintaining the reliably clean interface for With the money raised (a little over $2,000) phy magazine at Columbia, HALCYON. which the site is known. Many choose to liven the program allowed them to print 1,000 cop“I first heard about Kickstarter over the summer, when I was making the initial plans to launch HALCYON. I spent a lot of time perusing the websites of other undergraduate publications at Columbia in order to see how they represented themselves online, and to learn more about their fundraising processes,” Editor-in-Chief Rebekah Lowin, CC’14, says. “After researching the site a bit more, I decided that
up their pages with blog posts, video updates, ies of the issue featuring cover star and CU and pictures, keeping supporters in the loop alum Tinsley Mortimer last fall—a far cry from throughout the process. Projects that are regu- the 100 copies printed for their debut issue. larly updated gain more attention, and more support, by projecting a sense of real people
“Being able to print so many issues was a great
behind the screen with a genuine passion for opportunity, especially for a new magazine like their vision. Lowin appreciated the personal- us. Funding based on grants and donations ized feel when creating HALCYON’S page alone is difficult, especially if no funds are giv“We were able to write up a little backstory
en by Columbia or Barnard.” Cooperberg says.
it was a reliable, convenient, and relevant tool on our project and even offer rewards to our Outside of the publication realm, many of which we definitely had to take advantage.” donors, she says. “Without a printed final prod- students also call on Kickstarter to help them However, getting started with Kickstarter takes more than a few minutes at one’s laptop. An array of rules and regulations regarding the formation of a business account, specifically for
uct until April, we really need as big of an In- turn the seeds of a documentary idea into ternet presence as we can get, and Kickstarter a full-fledged film. Last May, a film titled has been invaluable in adding to that presence.” “White Coats, or What Happened to Charles In making the decision to use Kickstarter,
Kickstarter purposes, involves creating a bank Lowin credits Hoot, Columbia's fashion magaaccount and verifying it through the Amazon
Drew?” about the members, alumnae, and
history of the Charles Drew Premedical Society, a student group at Columbia committed
to
helping
and
encouraging
minorities
to become doctors, reached its $2,000 goal. Summer spelled success for more than one project, as Columbia graduate film school student and MFA candidate Jeff Moneo successfully surpassed his $5,000 goal to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Muddy,â&#x20AC;? a short, live-action dramatic film, in July 2010. Clearly, Kickstarter attracts users from the undergraduate to the graduate and post-graduate levels who think outside the box, while also acknowledging the cost of creativity. The site does not falsely lead its users into financial pitfalls. Rather, it allows them to test concepts without risk, and if successful,
spreads the word throughout campus and beyond.
6SULQJ 6XPPHU
With its clean layout, professional online atects, from the traditional to the whimsical,what more could a budding innovator ask for? Simply put, a good dose of community support. As Lowin says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A large part of our suc-
5,'(5 67521*
:+(1 0$1 0((76 :25/' 5,' (5 67 6752 521* 1* 5,' (5
back-to-school
cess came from the fact that we, the staff, rallied our friends and family to donate. The site, after all, is just a site. It cannot work on its own.â&#x20AC;?
photography by Ayelet Pearl
mosphere, and encouragement of creative proj-
!""#$%"&'()$%"*(#')+$",$!""#$-./.012'
!
! "#$%&'()'*)!('+ ')($'&!,&*)&! -)./!'0*!,12*)+ 3)(2,('*!'.!'0*! 3)(2,('*!(12! 4.&'+3)(2,('*! 5*6*5&!70.!'0#1%! .,'&#2*!'0*!8.9:! 70#5*!(5&.!($+ %1.75*23#13!'0*! $.&'!.-!$)*('#6#';<
"
Illustration XXXX
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Gowanus, Brooklyn
By Cleo Levin the next trendy spot be? Many signs point toward it popping up in South Brooklyn, in the town of Gowanus. Up until now,, this area had been deemed practically uninhabitable due to the polluted canal that runs through it. Yet, the unflappable art world, always in search of low rents and large spaces, readily took it on. Now, to their luck, the area has been registered as an official cleanup spot by the EPA. As the area is gradually cleaned by organizations such as the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, these early purveyors will most likely see their bravery rewarded, as their real estate appreciates. New York Magazine has, however, recently added Gowanus to their list of the “Next Neighborhoods,” commenting, “a toxic canal is no match for a burgeoning nightlife district.” In terms of established commercial enterprises, the current choices are few but deliciously eccentric. There are knife stores, pie shops, and print labs. Most of the venues, however, as noted above, compose what is becoming a burgeoning night scene. These venues range from Halyards, a bar serving ultralocal spirits to Rock Shop, a combination sports bar/indie rock venue. Another enticing activity lies in the many studios of artists who have opened up their spaces to the public to come dance, enjoy, and create. The Gowanus Arts Building, opened in a once derelict soap factory, has
E
tation marathon fundraisers, and a recycled
veryone knows the story of urban
and elaborate graffiti make it “cool.” Sudden-
succession: it begins with some
ly, the yuppies want a piece, so the 5-dollar-
starved, raggedy artists scouring the
a-strawberry markets and hoity-toity bou-
city streets for a space large enough to work
tiques move in, and the artists are kicked to
and cheap enough to allow money for food.
the curb. And so the cycle begins again.
Eventually, they land upon some industrial, low-income neighborhood and after about ten years their installation art,street tag sales,
been home to dance performances, sun salu-
Over the years, we have traced their movements, from Midtown, to SoHo, to Williamsburg. So one may ask, where will !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bn$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
fashion show with high tea! In short, the area is still building, and it is not yet a space where you can have Indonesian food followed up by a hammock yoga class, you have to kinda go with what they got. But if dancing the night away beside a canal (its oily surface glistening in the moonlight) doesn’t sound like the best New York night out, I don’t what does.
photography by Ayelet Pearl
!"#$%&%'(#'"#!)(*'(#
Halyards, Gowanus by Ayelet Pearl
High Life on the High Line By Charlotte Volpe
A
vegetative oasis in Manhattan, the abandoned and overgrown, a place for adven-
The redevelopment of the High Line
Chelsea High Line is one of New turous lower Manhattanites to explore the re- has also sparked gentrification of the lower York’s most recent treasures. The silient grasses and shrubs that had sprouted West Side. The High Line Rink, an outdoor
High Line is a raised railroad track along 10th along the tracks. Finally, in 1999 the non-profit rollerskating rink underneath the High Line, Avenue between 12th and 30th Streets, built Friends of the High Line was formed, and as- opened just this year. The ‘70s music and curin 1929 as an alternative to street-level railway sumed the great responsibility of transforming rent pop tunes blast for skaters and regular tracks that incited too many accidents with the out-of-service rail line into a public park.
passerbys to hear. Chelsea is also witnessing a
freight cars. Collisions were once so frequent
Their efforts have paid off. Today, the sprouting of clubs, nightlife, restaurants, bouthat 10th Avenue was named “Death Avenue.” High Line is truly an urban jungle: the perfect tiques, and designer shops. The once desolate The High Line saw its first trains run in 1934, marriage of grey and green. The once-used neighborhood is assuming a life of its own that facilitating transport of milk, meat, produce, tracks peep out from underneath the vegeta- is certainly enhanced by the renovation of the and manufactured goods to warehouses down- tion and sing of former glory now conquered High Line. Chelsea is becoming more desirtown without disturbing car traffic below and by nature. Walking along at the elevated height, able and livable, thereby shedding its industrial without jeopardizing pedestrians. The High one sees the beautiful molding on the tops of vibe. Warehouses that were once storage cen-
Line continued to prove successful for about buildings, arches undetected from street level, ters for frozen turkey shipments are now sites twenty years until trucking surpassed rail traf- and glimpses into the apartments of privacy- for chic parties. The High Line is an example of fic all over the nation as a means of efficient devoid Chelsea residents. The design was con- a public works project gone right–– it provides transportation. In 1980 the last train rattled ceived by Piet Oudolf, Buro Happold, and New Chelsea residents an escape from the hectic along the High Line, carrying three cargo loads York based architectural firm Diller Scofidio + rush of the sidewalks, and a different environof frozen turkeys.
Renfro. Oudolf, a Dutchman, and English Ed- ment to experience. Though the High Line is The railroad fell into disuse and dis- mund Happold, the founder of his self-named not a refuge from massive crowds because of its repair, giving the Chelsea neighborhood a new engineering company, integrate a distinctively popularity, people walk leisurely, soaking in the conundrum to deal with: What to do with European flair into the High Line, drawing in- scenes of the Hudson River and the city around t he High Line? By this point, it had spiration from the Promenade Plantèe in Paris. them. become
The shoddy weeds that once dappled the High Line have been replaced with willowy ferns and trees. Public art installations along the eighteen-block track add another level of graceful sophistication to the space.
Photography by Sarah Lipkis !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bo $*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Knitting Factory Draws Diverse Crowd
T
By Alexandra Mitchell here are many things that can be said about New York City, but one can never claim that
there is nothing to do. The Knitting Factory, located in the North Side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is a little-known haven for the most alternative of alternative artists. Founded in 1987 by Michael Dorf and Louis Spitzer, the venue has grown from a small office space to become Knitting Factory Entertainment, which owns Knitting Factory locations in different parts of the U.S. (including North Hollywood, California and Boise, Idaho), advertises national tours, is associated with Partisan Records and Knitting Factory Records, and produces the Broadway show “Fela!” To emphasize the precarious nature of the Knitting Factory’s original condition, Dorf writes: “We had found an old, dilapidated Avon Products office on Houston Street between the Bowery and Broadway… The place was really a mess: yellow painted plaster chipping off the walls, a rotted wood toilet, and piles of Avon products scattered all over the floor.” Even though Dorf mentions that the Knitting Factory works hard
Photography by Ayelet Pearl
to stay financially solvent, it seems that the concert hall is doing fairly well.
to attend a concert, I wouldn’t bring along that it’s easy to see everything going on and So why should you go out of your way to your friend who religiously listens to Top 40. you can move around while watching,” and the Knitting Factory on a Friday night? Be- However, sometimes the Knitting Factory at- that it is “a nice venue to watch a live show.” cause you can get tickets inexpensively and tracts more popular (yet still indie) artists; V.V. No concert hall is perfect, however, and some same day, if necessary. On their website’s list of Brown performed there on November 1, and reviewers did complain about the lack of recupcoming events, prices range from free (yes, Kathryn Calder from the New Pornographers ognizable acts that they would want to see, but you read that right) to $30. However, it should is scheduled for December 6. overall, the consensus seems to be that it is a be noted that in terms of prices for popular
!"#$%&%'(#'"#!)(*'(#
headliners, ticket prices do not vary significantly; for example, a night with the Lemonheads at the Knitting Factory (performing on January 11) will set you back about $22-$25, whereas a B.o.B. concert at the Bowery Ballroom on November 26 costs $25. The difference? The B.o.B. concert has already been sold out for a long time - most likely from the day it was announced. Granted, if you do decide
If you are bored to death of traipsing great place to spend a few hours while exploraround the Upper West Side, the Knitting Fac- ing an area of the City that you never get to tory serves as the perfect escape. Its location see. (they have others in North Hollywood, Reno,
In sum, all I can say is this: with all of the
and Spokane) is based in the North Side of work that we Barnard students have to comWilliamsburg and defined as having “a dive- plete, don’t you deserve to enjoy a night off at y, hole-in-the-wall intimacy in a clean facility one of New York City’s best unknown concert [where you can] literally rest your elbows on halls? Nod yes. the stage and feel the sweat of the performer,” where “the main room is laid out in such a way !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bp$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
The Real Candidates of Capitol Hill
T
By Chana Tolchin he screen shows a lineup of podi- working against the forces of cable, the race to in to American Idol eagerly anticipate the ums, the eight candidates stand- the White House is exactly the type of drama materialization of the next new pop star, pering behind them, a series of that TV can capitalize upon.
haps from their own hometown, and similarly,
American flags lending an appropriate back-
As the drama expands to include Saturday Americans seem to be clamoring for a hero drop to the figures. “It’s the Commander-in- Night Live sketches with candidate look-alikes with a plan for economic and social reform Chief debate,” announces CBS Evening News and late-night comedians like Jimmy Fallon to emerge from the masses. The sentiment is
anchor and debate co-host Scott Pelley to lilt- doing impersonations, the parodies become general restlessness with establishment and a ing patriotic music. “Eight candidates, ninety almost as vital to the campaign as the perfor- growing lure of the idea that talent can arise minutes – all starting in just a moment.”
mances made by the candidates themselves. from anywhere.
The dramatized excitement generated Parodies can often reveal the “true nature” of a
In the 2008 battle between Obama and Mc-
around the debate is part of what Michael candidate or an exaggeration of his or her pub- Cain, McCain was cast as the political insider, Shear dubbed “A Taste for Reality TV” in his lic image. Recently, SNL impersonators have even physically representing the status quo of recent NY Times article, which compares the become the stuff of mainstream news. A side- a presidential model, while Obama’s campaign popularity of the current GOP campaign to by-side photograph of Sarah Palin and Tina was more exciting because of his comparativethe shows like such as American Idol. “Who Fey made the cover of the NY Times’s “Year ly “outsider” feel and the freshness, with race gets kicked off the island, or who gets kicked in Review” edition on New Year’s 2009 as one as a part of the picture, that he brought to the off the talent stage, is now deeply embedded of the hallmarks of the year. SNL, specifical- table. It may have been this very dichotomy in the American culture,” says Steve Schmidt, ly, is publically noted for its political voice of that compelled McCain to pull newcomer and assistant to Senator John McCain’s presiden- truth, so much so that “The Root” author Les hockey mom Palin onto his ticket. Likewise, in tial campaign in 2008, quoted in Shear’s ar- Payne wrote, in regard to the recent GOP de- the current campaign, the GOP race to nomiticle. According to Shear, Americans’ growing bates, that “when the real presidential debate nation seems to be a story of trying to procure attachment to reality TV has influenced the is funnier than SNL the country’s in trouble.” a more colorful alternative to Romney, who character of their politics, with the debate The accuracy of the satire has become an im- most represents conventionality to many Rehaving heightened importance as the make- portant part of Americans’ evaluations of the publicans. Cain, Bachmann, and Perry have it-or-break-it stage performance similar to worth of their candidates.
all been characterized as Washington outsid-
what we see on reality shows like America’s
Candidates do have the ability to intervene ers and have faced eager demands that they Next Top Model, Dancing With the Stars, or in their own trajectory at crucial times. His- “prove themselves” against suspicions of inexThe Biggest Loser. torically noted political gaffes like Clinton’s perience. Shear’s claim is one part of a picture in 1988 debut speech which bored his audience
The new idol-like quality of the political
which cable TV has entirely changed the rules so much that cheers erupted when he reached campaign is effective in that it keeps voters of the political playing field. 40 years ago, his conclusion and, more recently, Perry’s epic interested. Americans are excited to monitor presidents used prime time TV to broadcast lapse in memory at the Michigan debate—he Perry’s mental performance going forward, policies and captivate the nation. In their failed to recall the name of the third federal to catch Bachmann citing any more errone1999 article Has Cable Ended the Golden Age agency he would eliminate as president—were ous historical “facts,” or to find out how Cain of Presidential Television?, Baum & Kernell ar- both calls for media intervention. Clinton and addresses allegations of sexual assault. These gue that TV as a method for presidents to “go Perry both appeared on late-night shows to incentives to tune in indicate that the level of public” collapsed with the rise of cable and make light of their own embarrassing blun- drama and personal appeal of the candidates the ability for viewers to simply switch the ders.
has become a qualification in it of itself. What
channel to something more exciting. Begin-
Part of the reason the reality TV feel has remains to be determined is whether the “taste ning with Reagan’s presidency, the average au- infiltrated American politics may be a near for reality TV” has begun to take its toll on the
diences for presidential prime-time addresses obsession with the “rags to riches” narrative quality of the candidates willing to approach and news conferences showed a steady de- that stands at the heart of shows like Ameri- the stage. cline, according to a study done by Nielsen can Idol. The thousands of viewers who tune Media Research. As presidents themselves are !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bq$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
FASHION FEATURE
HISTORY OF THE HIGH HEEL
F
By Alexandra Shapiro ashion can be interpreted as both fashion world. A glamorous stiletto constructs a an illustration of the self and the culture of sought-after sophistication and balfulfillment of aesthetic wishes. I ance. It also pays the price of being shamelessly
truly believe that our dreams can take visual romantic, and with those poetic qualities comes form in what we choose to embody and make a sort of pressure and empowerment. Someour own. Secrets and experiences are closed times it appears threatening to a society of imagaway in boxes and drawers, only to make us es. Still, most girls appreciate its clicking beauty realize how quickly time has passed the next and can make sense of the glamour it possesses. time we’re searching for them. Or, style can represent complete freedom with no con-
There are notable historical females chosen
nection to the past. But more often than not, to be the high heels main representatives- and certain pieces have taken away our ability to for good reason. 14-year-old Catherine Medici convey how special they are, as if putting it in was seduced into the fantastical world of mar-
Christian Louboutin’s “Marie Antoinette” Heelss
words would strip them of their indescribable riage in a pair of her heels during her wedding ries that write themselves while in them. They qualities. It’s more about taking them out of to the King of France during the mid 1500’s. An- realize their hidden love of dressing up or imithe box and perceiving their invisible sparkle. other dazzling French royal, Marie Antoinette, tating New York’s fancy aura. They make their
treasured her heels so much as to wear them as nightly dance steps special and keep friends Slipping your feet into a pair of stilletos, you much as possible until the day, and on the day, close together and walking slowly—though instnatly feel slightly off balance, but at the she was guillotined. Embracing the high-heeled confidently—through the uneven streets. same time powerful and ready to face the world. fervor in the American fashion sphere was the The more straps, narrow edges, and shreds of Lowell girls, the young witches, Christian Dior,
The history of the high heel can take on
lace, the greater the challenge to take them off.. and Carrie Bradshaw. Heels were a reward of more profound descriptions in fashion magathe factory era of production and comple- zine logs and books like Caroline Cox’s Stiletto,
! !"#$%&%'(#'"#!)(*'(#
A glamorous stiletto constructs a culture of sought-after sophistication and balance. It also pays the price of being shamelessly romantic, and with those poetic qualities comes a sort of pressure and empowerment.
"
mented the simplest of textiles. They con- in which the complete paradox of the heel as tributed to the diagnosis of “witch” in Salem both the most fragile illusion and most force-
because their form and structure seemed so ex- ful piece of style is traced throughout many otic to the conventional New England dresser eras. Heels look to the future and to the past,
who could not break free from her social role. . and always forward. They define events and runways and imprint glamour and poise , from Christian Dior introduced the stiletto and the most high-profile occasions to the desire
made sure to emphasize the sharpness of the to be dressed up on the greyest day of winter. heel,as it beautifies the shape of the leg.. The They are simply timeless—and “groundless.” iconic Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City houses her high heels like childhood teddy bears in delicate rows in her closet, and each pair removed from its place has a corresponding need to be there, whether worn on a night of romantic judgments, or keep-
High heels have been indulging the glam- ing her company while in an unpredictable orous since 1500 AD when newlyweds would environment. They sometimes give her the imthrow them to their bridesmaids just like the pulse to walk right into her emotions with her modern day bouquets. The high heel itself favorite girls at her side, or away from confusion likely has a specific date of invention, but tem- and confrontation. For the most part, they say, porality is irrelevant; it is more of a spirit that “Welcome Home” to Carrie and remind her of exists in us all, a piece of architecture so meta- how she evolves after each full Manhattan mophorical that it’s hard to assign it strictly to the ment. Barnard girls love high heels and the sto!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
br
$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Christian LouboutinWedding Heels
THE ACTIVIST
!"#$%&'($ name
Sophia Melon year
CLASS OF 2014 Touring with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato as part of the all-girl rock band KSM didn’t stop Sophia Melon from running away to New York to get a good old liberal arts education. The artist, a Barnard sophomore, interns at Warner Brother’s Music and is the executive assistant to the CEO and founder of the non-profit organization Music Unites. Photography by Megan Maquera
Q&A Q: How or why did you decide to leave KSM for tunity to sort of see who I am musically and I’ve ganization dedicated to providing music educaa small liberal arts school all the way across the been playing with a lot of musicians, writing and tion to under-funded inner-city school systems. country? recording a lot. You should all come! Gary Clark Jr. is playing on December 14 at a pop-up venue to be anA: I think education has always been something Q: How has your KSM experience played a part in nounced. that has been very important to me and when I your internship at Warner? joined the band I was 15 and in high school... by the time I was 18 I really needed to become A: In KSM, I was on the artist side of a major FAST FACTS an adult and be independent. Being in that band label and now, being on the label side, it’s inter- * Most played song on iTunes: was an amazing experience but it kept me really esting to just have the perspective of what the Hotel California by the Eagles sheltered – especially since I wasn’t really able to artists are going through. * Most anticipated album release: express [my own music]. I was kind of stuck as El Camino by The Black Keys a little girl and I really felt I needed to break out * Opinion on Jelena (Justin and Selena): and get away from all of that. Q: Where, geographically and career-wise, do you I think they’re an awesome couple and I Q: What was the hardest part about the transi- see yourself once you graduate? support the two of them tion? A: When I left LA, I was like, “I’m never comA: It was one of the most difficult decisions I ing back” but now I can totally see myself gohave ever made because [the band] was who ing back as the newly-formed me. So, I guess it’s I was. My high school career and my life were wherever life takes me. I’m still in my second KSM and I knew I had to leave because I was year so hopefully lots more will happen to deBARNARD OVERHEARD AT getting older. But who was I without my band? termine that. 3% Who was I was out these girls? The hardest part ,((%-$%.,/'0$1%2 #$%&'($%)'*$%+ %2.% !" 1$ 6, $% %0# Q: What concerts or shows have you been to in 23 )% ,3 + was letting go of that identity. 0#$%04&25%)527%#$'18 New York that were particularly memorable? & Q: In what ways have you brought your love for A: I went to this LIGHTS concert the other day. music to your new life in New York? She was really awesome. But also, Gary Clark Jr., A: I still play and I’m still writing and I’m ex- who is a new artist on Warner Brothers, is doing ploring myself musically. I’m taking this oppor- an event with Music Unites. It’s a non-profit or-
!"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bs$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
!"#$%&''"()*#+'
SCHOLARSHIPS
WORKSHOP ROOM TUTORING AVAILABLE
Students interested in applying for scholarships to support undergraduate or graduate work are welcome to pick up a copy of the Selected Scholarships and Fellowships Guide in the Dean of Studies Office. The Guide is also available online: http://barnard.edu/dos/academic-advising/scholarships-
If you need help in CHEM BC2001 (General Chemistry I), CHEM BC3231 (Organic Chemistry II), or PHYS BC2001 (Physics I: Mechanics), please use the tutoring workshop rooms that have been established for these courses. The workshop rooms will be available through December 12.
fellowships
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I: Wednesdays and Thursdays: 7:30pm-9pm, Milbank 237 DAVID L. BOREN NSEP SCHOLARSHIP APP ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II: Mondays: 5pm-7pm, Milbank 307; Tuesdays: 7:30pm-9pm, Milbank 237; Wednesdays: 8:30pm-10pm, Milbank Applications for the 2012-2013 National Security Education Program’s Da- 324 vid L. Boren Scholarships for undergraduate students and Fellowships for PHYSICS I: Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8:30pm-10pm, Milbank 324 graduate students are available at www.borenawards.org. Boren Awards provide funding for U.S. students to study in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Applications ROOMS FOR STUDY GROUPS for scholarships to be used for study abroad academic year 2012-2013, fall 2012, AND SPRING 2013 are due in February. Boren Scholarships provide 404 Barnard Hall and 405 Barnard Hall will be available for study group sessions from December 13 to 22 (8am-2am each day). Please reserve the up to $20,000 for an academic year’s study abroad. Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 for language study and international research. If you rooms in the Dean of Studies Office. are interested in applying for a Boren Scholarship, contact Study Abroad Dean Young at gyoung@barnard.edu, and attend an information session on Monday, December 5, in 10 Milbank, from 12 to 1 pm.
EBEAR TRAINING FOR COURSE APPROVALS FOR STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD (in the spring) Held Wednesday, December 7, from 12 to 1pm, in 325 Milbank.
APPLYING TO GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS?
If you have a recommendation file in the Dean of Studies Office and are applying to graduate or professional schools this year, Dean of Studies Office will be closed from December 23 through January 2. Therefore, if you have any application deadlines in late December or early January, please give your request and the stamped and addressed envelopes to Mr. Peter John (graduate school) or Ms. Paula Hercules (professional school) by December 9 so that we will have time to process them by the end of finals.
PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION FOR STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD (in the spring) THE PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE WILL Held on Monday, December 12, from 5:30 to 7pm in 304 Barnard. This is CLOSE FOR WINTER BREAK... a mandatory meeting for all students who will be studying abroad in the
...at 4pm on Thursday, December 22 and will reopen for administrative assistance only on Tuesday, January 3, and for routine care and appointments on Tuesday, January 17. Please call 212-854-2091 with any questions. The TRAVEL MEDICINE Clinician On Call (866-966-7788) is available for urgent medical advice during the break whenever PCHS is closed. Barnard students may be seen If you are traveling outside of the US (especially if you are going to Asia, Af- in the urgent care department at Health Service at Columbia—for acute rica, the Caribbean, Central or South America, Europe, Mexico, the Middle illness only, not for routine medication refills or routine GYN care—for a East and/or the Pacific), you may need required or recommended vaccines reimbursable fee of $60 during the break when PCHS is closed (visit www. and/or malaria prophylaxis. Travel health counseling can prepare you for a barnard.edu/primary care for info on reimbursement). Please call 212-854safe and enjoyable trip! Please call the Primary Care Health Service (212- 2284 for Columbia Health Services hours and location. spring.
854-2091) to set up an appointment for a pre-travel visit.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WITH F-1 VISAS If you plan to leave the United States during the winter break, please have your I-20 signed in the Dean of Studies Office by December 16. You will not be permitted to return to the United States if you have a signature
THE DEAN OF STUDIES OFFICE & THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE WILL CLOSE... ...at 4pm on December 22 and will reopen on January 3.
Please don’t hesitate to contact either office during Winter Break if we can be helpful. We hope you will enjoy many wonderful moments while you are away.
which you obtained more than six months ago. !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
bt$$*$+#,#-%#.$/011
DECEMBER 2011
!"#$%&'#()&*
Sunday
4
Monday
5
Tuesday
6
Wednesday
7 Senior Spa
6-8 pm 12
13
Thursday
Colour at Terminal 5
14
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
8
9
10
City and
Night
11
!"#$%&'"()*%& %"&+,*+-&./&".%& "#01#*2
The Antlers with Suuns at Webster Hall
Yelle at Webster Hall
15
16
17
My Morning
The National at Beacon Theater
“Incomparable Women of Style” FIT
Jacket and Band of Horses at Madison Square Garden
18
19 Atlas Sound at Bowery Ballroom
20
21
22
23
24
Matisyahu at Music Hall of Williamsburg
HIGHLIGHTS
December 6th-8th: Stress Busters Abandon GRE and LSAT preparation from 6-8
Photo curtesy of Source Etc.
This exhibit is a case of “the blind leading the
Photo curtesy of iStock
Photo curtesy of Dialog in the Dark
December 4th
NOVEMBER 11: Gallery Opening December 8th French electro-pop outfit and Bulletin favorite
blind” quite literally. Blind or visually impaired
pm to nurture those slumped shoulders and
Yelle stops by Webster Hall in support of album
tour guides lead participants through a complete-
stress-whittled finger nails. Senior Class Council
Safari Disco Club. Snappy synth sounds and
ly darkened space. Other sense are heightened
conscripts Stressbusters to offer massages and
dance beats bring even non-Francophiles to their
and the space is filled with the sounds and smells
manicures, priority given to the most emotion-
feet.
of New York City, for better and for worse.
ally vulnerable. !"#$%&''#!()$*$
cu $*$+#,#-%#.$/011
Student and Millie the Bear at a street fair for Founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day; 116th Street and Claremont Avenue, NYC; October c. 1990. Courtesy of the Barnard College Archives.