February 2015
Hannah Miller '15
Rebecca Deczynski '16 Editors-in-Chief Mora Grehl '15 Layout Director
Rhea Schmid '15 Art Director MELANIE SHapiro '15 Managing Editor
SOCIAL MEDIA Natalia Quintero Ochoa '15
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNS Erica Harrevald '18 Tanya Lalwani '18 Elena Valenzuela-Stookey '18 COPY EDITORS Danielle Owen '17 Briana Bursten '18 Ariana Busby '18 Jessica tschida '18 Morgan Wu '18
FEATURES Anna Weill '16 POLITICS & OPINION Victoria Papalian '15 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT AIKO SUYEMOTO '16
DESIGN COORDINATOR Jordana Roat '16
LAYOUT ASSISTANT Kirsten Cabacungan '18
NEW YORK CITY LIVING Amanda Breen '17 HEALTH & STYLE Sarah Schreiber '16
BARNARD BULLETIN 3009 Broadway New York, NY 10027 bulletinedboard@gmail.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/barnardbulletin FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: twitter.com/barnardbulletin Follow us on instagram: instagram.com/barnard_bulletin
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A Letter from the Editors As we begin to get bogged down with rapidly approaching due dates and summer internship applications, we can’t deny that love is in the air. Whether Valentine’s Day means cuddling up with Netflix and a body pillow or pressuring your boyfriend to write an article for the magazine you run (see page 12), it’s always a special time of year when you don’t need an excuse to eat chocolate.
However, there are plenty of other important topics to consider as well. From articles that examine the United States’ relationship with the Middle East to answering the pressing question of whether we can actually hope to afford Monica’s apartment from Friends one day, this issue of the The Bulletin will surely ignite discussion on campus. Our Features section explores the controversial subject of donating eggs to pay off student loans while our Arts & Entertainment vertical celebrates SNL’s 40th birthday (Barnard is not the only one reaching a milestone in New York this year).
Even if you don’t have a significant other this Valentine’s Day, you can surely get cozy with this edition of
The Bulletin. Treat yourself to a fancy drink from Liz’s Place, transform your dorm into a pillow fort, and get reading!
Sending love your way, Hannah and Rebecca
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Contents Behind the Scenes
3 5
Trending & Playlist
6
Health & Style Let Me See That Booty Work
8
Pearls of Beauty Wisdom
9
The Revolt Against Contouring Features Funny Girl
10
Letter from the Editors
11
Centerpiece
12
The Columbia Man’s Guide to Love and Chocolate
Eggs for Cash Malcom X, Stephen Tuck, and Me
16 18
Politics and Opinion Lethal Weapon
19
#AskHerMore
20
Unexpected Allies
21
will.i.am and the World Economic Forum
22
Arts & Entertainment SNL at 40 Oscars Odyssey
23 24
Fifty Shades of Grey on Screen
25
Gallery Gallivanting
27
New York City Living NYC’s TV Apartments: Fact or Fiction? A Brief History of #NYFW
28 30
A Student’s Guide to NYC
31
THE BULLETIN!"
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MOdel: Chloe Morris Photographer: Carina Hardy Assistant: Rhea Schmid
ehind he cenes
HydroFlask Keeps your cold drinks cold for 24 hours. Keeps your hot drinks hot for 12.
Love & Roses Beauty Mist A sweet-smelling hydration mist for your face
Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint A multipurposed 100% natural and nontoxic wash of color that mimics flushed skin.
THE BULLETIN!"
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Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page
and hair.
Frankie Magazine A lovely illustrated Australian lifestyle magazine—pick up a copy at BookCulture!
Pebble Aria A wonderful travel companion - powerful portable charger and speaker in one!
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 Lip balm that hydrates and protects against UV rays.
1.
4.
In My Life
Love Me Like You Do Ellie Goulding
The Beatles
2. Sadneccesary
5.
Come to Me Goo Goo Dolls
Milky Chance
3.
6.
Simple Song
Beat of Your Heart Summer Heart
The Shins
THE BULLETIN!"
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Let Me See That Booty Work by Nicky Bernstein
T
hough not all of us sit and read fitness magazines every day, here is the 2015 headline: Butts Are In. Weight Watchers has even changed their advertisements to include women showing off their backsides, emphasizing the ability of each individual to create their dream derrière. Everyone can have the butt that they want without Spanx or Booty Booster Shorts (a bra for your butt cheeks). Though not all of us 1.
can look like Nicki Minaj from the “Anaconda” music video, Jennifer Lopez at the American Music Awards, or Kim Kardashian on Instagram— Tina Fey did say that she was manufactured by scientists to thwart mankind —listed here are five simple and machine free exercises that target boosting our butts. The best part? These workouts can be done between readings and problem sets right in our dorm rooms.
Wall Bridges: Lie down on your back and place your feet on the wall with a 90-degree angle to the floor. Raise your hips up and down. Perform 20 reps. Challenge yourself by keeping one leg off the wall and one on the wall, while still raising your hips up and down.
2. Fire Hydrants: Get into plank position, with your knees on the floor. Raise your whole leg at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Lower leg. Repeat on one leg 25 times, then perform 25 on the second leg.
floor
Donkey Kicks: Get into plank position, with your knees on the floor. Lift one knee slightly off the and
push your flexed foot into the air, ending with your knee and thigh facing the floor. Lower leg. Repeat on one leg 25 times, then perform 25 on the second leg.
4. Squats: Standing hip-length apart with slightly turned out feet, bend your knees and lower your butt to a 90-degree angle with the ground. Repeat 20 times. Challenge yourself by performing jump squats—jumping in between each squat. 5.
Lunges: Stand with your feet together. Bring your left foot forward and bend both knees. Bring left foot back to the right, and perform the same move on the other foot. Perform 15 on each leg, 30 in total.
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Photography by Nicky Bernstein
3.
Pearls of Beauty Wisdom by Sarah Schreiber
B
eauty buzz ingredients seem to send us rushing to our local beauty mecca of choice, scouring isles in search of the perfect product to soothe our sensitive mugs. For pimples? Charcoal (think Origins’ Clear Improvement mask). For hydration? Coconut oil (think Glam Glow’s ThirstyMud). In a sea of complex
product formulations, knowing the
ishes and she brightens, she leaves you
help limit your scope—or at least, send you to one kiosk in Sephora, as opposed to twelve. Meet pearl, your new beauty buzz word. She’s St. Ives Apricot Scrub’s hotter cousin who got the family-heirloomed Chanel bag. She pol-
legendary Asian skin care rituals, here are three products that include pearl in their ingredient and promise pearlescent results.
Sephora Pearl Mask:
Sephora’s pearl interpretation promises perfected and brightened complexions. Treat this mask as you would any other: smooth onto a freshly cleansed face, wait ten minutes, and rinse off. This mask is a great option for college ladies on a budget.You can try this single-use pearlinfused product for only $6!
Pearl Professional Anti Wrinkle Mist: While we might not yet be dealing with fine lines and crows feet, this clinically proven mist incorporates hydrolyzed pearl to restore elasticity and improve skin tone (hyperpigmentation, we’re looking at you). Swap out both your morning moisturizer and foundation primer for this product to ensure perfect makeup application. A product that saves time and money? That’s a beauty pearl in our book.
Tatcha's Classic Rice Enzyme Powder: Victoria Tsai, founder, CEO, Illustration by Letty DiLeo
and product-developer of the Tatcha product line, was inspired by Geisha beauty rituals in Kyoto, Japan. A non-abrasive exfoliant, the Rice Enzyme Powder is one of Tatcha’s top sellers and is ideal for normal to combination skin types. Tatcha’s website claims that “crushed pearl helps soften and condition skin.” While this product is on the pricier side - $65 for 2.1 oz - Tatcha offers a travel sized option (0.35 oz) for $15.
So, freeze! Put down your moroccan argan oil, your charcoal, and your coconut oil very, very slowly. As of 2015, pearl's the new beauty ingredient in town. THE BULLETIN!"!9!"!FEBRUARY 2015
The Revolt Against Contouring
P
rimer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, powder, bronzer, blush, and setting spray: these are the ingredients to a delicately chiseled face, if you weren’t already blessed with the cheekbones of Naomi Campbell. Through the early 2010s, runways, magazine pages, and Instagram feeds were filled with sculpted cheeks, painted to pointy perfection. However, the Spring/Summer 2015 shows that occurred during fashion weeks worldwide this September show a movement towards something more natural and decidedly further away from the contouring craze popularized by the Kardashian klan. Models for Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs strutted down the runway wearing just moisturizer on their faces—a move that made anti-makeup mavens sigh in contentment, but left beauty editors scratching their heads. Could it really be possible that in an age of selfie-ready skin perfecting and YouTubefamous beauty gurus we would be slouching towards a time of the truly, honest-to-goodness bare face? While the theory behind a fresh face is one that supports natural beauty
in a “I woke up like this” kind of attitude, the actuality of the runway trend is far less effortless. Putting models in simple, “nomakeup” beauty looks that actually do require the efforts of a trained makeup art-
on the other hand, is an act that exudes rebellion. Natural beauty is old hat.Wearing no makeup is new and unexpected—for the fashion industry, at least—and comes as a surprise in a world where models are retouched to smooth, baby skin perfection in editorials, ads, and cover shoots. Makeup is the Instagram filter of the modern day, and a fashion show without it is seen as renegade, innovative, and even more impressive than it might have been with the filter of makeup. After all, there’s nothing quite as boast-worthy as a gorgeous snapshot of the sunset that also has #nofilter. For the fashion world, the revolt against contouring is nothing but a revolt against the popularization of bronzer, illuminator, and a nice set of makeup brushes (hello, RealTechniques Core Collection). Makeup looks that seem “makeup-free” still use blush, concealer, and the works to achieve a healthy, natural glow, but moisturizer allows bare skin to shine, announcing itself boldly to audiences of perfectly powdered fashion show attendees. While contouring may allow us to make mountains out of molehills, cheekbones out of babyfaces, abandoning makeup altogether is just as performative. Although fashion shows may take the more self-aware and provocative route when they abandon makeup, the real world is not a runway. As far as faces go, life may not imitate art.
While the theory behind a fresh face is one that supports natural beauty in a “I woke up like this” kind of attitude, the actuality of the runway trend is far less effortless. ist results in clean, pretty faces that don’t distract from the designer’s clothing. Slathering model’s faces with moisturizer and pointing them towards the catwalk, THE BULLETIN -
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Illustration by Illana Schulder
by Rebecca Deczynski
I
FUNNY FUNNY GIRL GIRL
Photo Illustration by Art Board
t’s been nearly four years since the iconic female-driven comedy Bridesmaids was released. Though the development of an all-female Ghostbusters film was recently announced, it seems ridiculous that we’ve had to wait so long to see funny women on the big screen given the many fantastic comediennes working today. Here are some important stars to know: At 22, Jessica Williams became The Daily Show’s youngest-ever regular correspondent in 2012. Since then, she has brought a fresh perspective to the show that combines bold and goofy humor with biting commentary on issues like race and gender. Check out her segments on street harassment, the “Stop and Frisk” law, and inter-political dating. Chelsea Peretti graduated from Barnard in 2000 and was involved in the now-defunct Columbia improv group “Six Milks.” Today you can find her on FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine as the ditzy, sarcastic, and dance-loving cop Gina Linetti. Peretti is also an established stand-up comedian and released a special, Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats, on Netflix. The special parodies the bravado and crassness of typical male stand-ups while also discussing relationships, parties, and urban life. You’ve probably seen June Diane Raphael somewhere before, maybe on Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Anchorman 2, or the very funny web series Burning Love. Or maybe you’ve seen a movie for which she’s written the script, such as Bride Wars or the 2013 female buddycomedy Ass Backwards. This incredibly
by Ariana Busby
multi-talented comedian has done everything from starring Off-Broadway in a Nora Ephron play to creating her own videos for Funny or Die. These days, you can hear her discussing horrible movies on the podcast “How did this Get Made?” In May, she will star in the Neflix original series Gracie and Frankie with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. By now, you have likely heard of and hopefully seen Comedy Central’s newest hit series Broad City, a show
following two twenty-something best friends, fictionalized versions of show creators Abbi Jacobsen and Ilana Glazer, as they navigate New York City with the undeveloped wisdom of growing adults. Sound familiar? The premise itself of Broad City follows the tried-and-true model of countless past shows. What sets it apart is its hysterical honesty in portraying two friends who have no desire to become the voices of their generation or have it all. It is their sincere love of each other THE BULLETIN!"
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that allows Ilana and Abby to get through various escapades such as a humiliating art show at a sandwich shop, a wisdom teeth removal, marijuana smuggling, and other remarkable events together in an otherwise unremarkable life. Fortunately, Broad City is not the only program to portray the ups and downs of being young women in New York with such casual and carefree frankness. The UCBComedy web series Pursuit of Sexiness, starring SNL’s Sasheer Zamata and Nicole Byer, achieves a similar feat. Pursuit of Sexiness strings together vignettes like thrift shopping and stalking old friends on Facebook with the common thread of Sasheer and Nicole simply enjoying each other’s company. While Zamata has gained wider recognition through her work on SNL, Byer is a fantastic comedian in her own right. In addition to Pursuit of Sexiness, Byer stars on a number of sketches on UCBComedy.com, performs stand-up, and appears on MTV’s Girl Code. With the plethora of smart, creative, bold, funny, and immensely accomplished women available, it is shocking that we are not more frequently exposed to this diverse array of talent. While women are finally being accepted as the figures of comedic films, it is also encouraging to see that so many female comedians are taking the initiative to make their own work without the antiquated attitudes of Hollywood studios. So here’s to the women who make us laugh—we’re so excited to see more of you.
The Columbia Man’s Guide to
Love and Chocolate
MOdel: Chloe Morris Photographer: Carina Hardy Assistant: Rhea Schmid
O
n our campus, hormones run high and the chance for romance is low. With the intermittent presence of Columbia Admirers and the rise of Tinder, it seems like love is the last thing on our minds. We’re consumed with securing internships, completing (ok, skimming) 500 pages of reading, and being in a codependent relationship with Netflix. In order to prove that love hasn’t completely died here in Morningside Heights, we asked four Columbia men about their thoughts on romance, Valentine’s Day, and keeping the passion alive.
How would you spend your ideal Valentine’s Day? Khamal Clayton, CC ‘15:This is a very difficult question as it depends on many factors including her interests.Therefore, ideally, it should be a surprise, it should be romantic, and it should be something that she has had interest in doing but has always seen it as highly unlikely (and even almost impossible).Valentine’s Day should be the day when dreams become reality—there is no better way to show love than by making her dreams come true. Shrey Chandra, CC ‘15: If it’s with someone special, the details can sort themselves out. Just spending time together with them, continuing to get closer like you (hopefully) do anyway. For me, good conversation is the only core necessity.
What does Valentine’s Day mean to you? Khamal Clayton, CC ‘15: Valentine’s Day occurs once a year in the Gregorian calendar—in my calendar, however,Valentine’s Day is a 365-day marathon.Therefore, showing appreciation for the people you care about romantically should not be limited by time, but be as boundless as the feelings you share. StevenWeiner, CC ‘14: Most days the general stress of life, be it finding a job or getting good grades, takes complete priority over everything.To me,Valentine’s Day is a day to purely focus on my relationship without having to worry about all the other external factors that get in the way the rest of the time.
Do you think love and relationships can f lourish in college? SC: Yes—with the right people, it certainly can. It takes a lot of maturity and commitment though, so it won’t always come easily. SW: I do believe that love and relationships can flourish in college; my current relationship has gone on for (roughly) two and a half years in college, so if I thought otherwise something would certainly be amiss! However, care must be taken to carve out time for the relationship and for each other, even with all the outside stress.
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How do you create romance on Valentine’s Day/life in general? KC: Creating romance in everyday life requires spontaneity and creativity. Romance does not have to be an expensive affair (although it does help) but simply taking the time out to express appreciation both verbally and nonverbally at random can be just as effective. SC: Romance is all about appreciating someone and expressing how much you value them.What matters is whether or not you can aptly consider their feelings, and how you work to improve their happiness. How this is done will vary immensely in any given relationship—everyone has their own way of showing how they feel and care about others. Find what works for you, and don’t ever be afraid to lay out your feelings.
SW: ForValentine’s Day, I’ve booked a table at a nice restaurant and will be getting my girlfriend some chocolates and flowers—we’ll see where things go from there. I tried to buy tickets in advance for Fifty Shades of Grey at the theater on 86th (the one where the chairs go all the way back and you can lift the armrests to snuggle while watching), but unfortunately they were already gone.
Alex Dabertin, CC ‘15 told The Bulletin about how one Valentine’s Day changed his thoughts on the holiday forever... Valentine’s Day was one of the first dates I ever had with my girlfriend Elizabeth, with whom I am celebrating our three-year anniversary as I write this. She was a senior and I was a freshman, and she was beautiful and I was terrified—so, the first thing I said to her was, “Hi, I’m Alex and you’re way out of my league.” Still, four days later I asked for her number. After just some coffee and chat, we were suddenly off for a V-Day dinner. I thought I should be terrified, but I was elated. When I was younger (anytime before Elizabeth) I thought I would live and die a bachelor, no girlfriends, just sex. Suddenly, I was buying this girl I barely knew a gift (a Lego Space Needle, because she had mentioned them in passing) and going out with her on that most hated of all days, Valentine’s. Elizabeth just blew my bullshit out of the water. Right from the start I had decided that I would never lie and would always tell her how I felt—if that caused trouble, well, then it did, no expectations, just going for it all heart. So, when she unwrapped my gift under the College Walk trees and we got on the subway, I felt great, yet, Elizabeth was nervous. I asked her why, and she said because of all the “expectations” of V-day. After talking, we mutually decided to fuck expectations. I guess all I can say is that what worked for me was just always knowing that Elizabeth was just a person—a surprising, beautiful person—but a person who wouldn’t know I existed unless I went up to her, wouldn’t know what I was thinking unless I told her, and wouldn’t tell me what she was really thinking unless I asked her. That’s my advice. If you follow it, you could end up like I did, (consensually) ripping open a pair of tights on Valentine’s Day night like a longed for gift on Christmas morning. Quick note: the best V-Day is the kind you have to apologize to roommates for.
Eggs W
ith tuition fees and interest rates on student loans climbing, an increasing number of college women are turning to egg donation as a means of escaping the financial binds of higher education. THE BULLETIN!"
At first glance, the compensation for “donating� eggs makes the process seem undoubtedly rewarding. However, it can take up to six months to complete, and the procedure entails a myriad of risks and inconveniences.
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for Cash by Danielle Owen
F
irst, a donor must submit a lengthy application and undergo physical and psychological screenings. They are checked for communicable diseases or abnormalities and forced to meet with a genetic counselor. Psychological screenings ensure that the donor won’t feel any connection to potential offspring. Once a match is made between the donor and a prospective mother, the donor will begin taking birth control to synchronize her menstrual cycle with the recipient’s. After two weeks of self-administering hormone shots twice daily to stimulate egg production, the donor’s eggs are retrieved through a surgical procedure that takes about half an hour while she’s sedated. Donors receive payment regardless of whether or not her eggs result in a pregnancy. While the money is tempting, there are potential immediate health risks to consider. Some risks include bad
reactions to intense hormone therapy, blood clots, and ovarian hyperstimulation. Although women are discouraged from donating more than six times due to increased risk, the limit isn’t enforced—in fact, women with track records of successful donations are paid more each time. Payment for eggs usually ranges from $4,000 to $10,000, though in some cases, donors could possibly be paid much more. Ads in college newspapers—like the one that has previously appeared in The Columbia Daily Spectator—offer $25,000 to $50,000 for “exceptional” donors— attractive young Ivy League women who belong to certain ethnic groups. Many believe that this practice is unethical. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine warns that egg donation is a “morally troubling development akin to eugenics.” In a 2006 interview, Barnard President Debora
Spar offered her own thoughts regarding the ethical implications of egg donation when she stated, “While sperm donors’ information profiles describe the man, the egg donors’ profiles include photographs. That says to me that how women look is more important to buyers than how the men look. It’s a little more like online dating, although of course, you’re not getting the donor, just her egg. You can’t look at that fact and not wonder about the objectification of women.” Moral disputes aside, many women are deterred from donating eggs because the effect that the process has on the chances of conceiving a child in the future has yet to be determined. Though there is yet to be any conclusive research on the long-term risks of donating eggs, it seems that this practice is a gamble many college-aged women are willing to take.
Illustration by Alice Rottersman
Ads in college newspapers—like the one that has previously appeared in the Columbia Daily Spectator—offer $25,000 to $50,000 for “exceptional” donors— attractive young Ivy League women who belong to certain ethnic groups. THE BULLETIN!"
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Malcom X, Stephen Tuck, and Me
native. There is nothing quite like falling in love with a new country through a new university, but a year abroad also has this Barnard woman missing everything from Barnard’s close-knit English seminars to late nights at Liz’s Place with friends. While abroad I have attended lectures at the Oxford Union and had tutors
(professors) who wrote academic articles I studied previously at Barnard. At the Oxford Union, I sat a foot away from Reverend Al Sharpton as he spoke to a receptive audience; at this venue I also attended a speech by Malcolm X’s nephew. Thousands of miles away from the Fergusoninspired activism on Barnard’s campus, I have heard British and American scholars and students debate whether America is institutionally racist. Oxford scholar Stephen Tuck, author of The Night Malcolm X Spoke at the Oxford Union: A Transatlantic Story of Antiracist Protest (Berkeley, 2014), so impressed me with his Oxford Union commentary on his book that I requested him as my tutor; I am now in a two-person tutorial (class) studying the Civil Rights Movement from this leading civil rights scholar. Missing Barnard friends and events, I check my email and college website regularly. I was disappointed to learn that I will miss an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Malcolm X’s last public speech. The alumna who invited Malcolm X to campus, Jane Relin, BC ’66, will attend the event, which will feature a screening of Malcolm X’s speech and talks from notable experts like Bryan Epps, Executive Director of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty THE BULLETIN!"
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Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in New York, and Stephen Tuck, the Oxford scholar who wrote about Malcolm X’s Oxford Union speech. I regret missing an event so relevant to both current on-campus politics (which I am also pining for) and my own current tutorial. Imagine what my tutor, Dr. Stephen Tuck, himself an expert on the Civil Rights Movement, would think if he knew I were THIS close to attending a lecture featuring one of Oxford’s own top scholars on the subject! If only I were in America, I sighed. Then I connected the dots. I spend an hour with that scholar every week. Had I not come to Oxford, I would not be writing a weekly essay on the Civil Rights Movement or discussing every topic, from the new film Selma to the history of police brutality against African Americans. Nor would I be studying with a civil rights expert, an academic globally known enough to be a guest speaker at my own alma mater. I wouldn’t be conversing with him about American politics and the Super Bowl. But at Oxford, I have personal access to an expert, and each week my tutorial partner and I can choose our topic of focus for the next week. By attending Oxford for a year, I have not ceased to be a Barnard student. Rather, knowing that my tutor and the Malcolm X expert speaking at Barnard are one and the same has helped me realize how much my study abroad experience complements my Barnard education, without replacing it. What do Malcolm X, Stephen Tuck, and I have in common? We all chose Barnard and Oxford. I know what I want to write about for my next tutorial.
Illustration by Rhea Schmid
M
ore than 30% of Barnard graduating seniors have studied abroad. From Italy to Australia, from China to Spain, Barnard students have taken a semester, summer, or full academic year to explore other countries. As a student spending a year abroad at Oxford University, I know firsthand the thrill of turning from tourist to
by Sheli Frank
Lethal Weapon O
Photo Illustration by Art Board
n Jan. 30, Ohio Governor John Kasich announced that all Ohio death-row executions scheduled for 2015 would be postponed to 2016. The decision arrived just over a year after the state’s execution of Dennis McGuire, who was lethally injected with an experimental combination of various drugs. McGuire’s execution drew attention after he reportedly “gasped for breath” during the process. In the months following this controversial event, a criminal writhed in pain during a death row execution in Oklahoma that used a new combination of undisclosed drugs. In Missouri, a death row execution was stayed because the physical disability of an inmate was suspected to cause a painful and prolonged death by lethal injection. In Georgia, the state’s appeals court decided that a company could maintain anonymity due to its role in supplying lethal drugs in an effort to avoid public retaliation and expedite executions. These incidents maintain the potentially painful side effects of drugs used during lethal injection. For many years, the death penalty has been questioned as a fair method of justice. Given the disproportionate frequency of executions of poor black and Latino men, the death penalty has long been linked to racial profiling. Critics ask whether capital punishment is acceptable given the guidelines of the Eighth Amendment which defines cruel and unusual punishment as “degrading to human dignity, inflicted arbitrarily, clearly societally rejected, and unnecessary.” Capital punishment has caused public doubt to grow for quite some time. However, with the recent developments in the controversy regarding lethal injec-
by Ariana Busby tion, concern has moved from the justification of the sentence to whether the completion of this punishment averts cruel and unusual consequences. Many argue that the inhumanity and lack of care taken in planning executions indicate that the court does not value human dignity when
it comes to death row inmates. The use of arbitrarily-mixed drugs to induce death through murky causes seems a near-certain violation of the Eighth Amendment’s standards. However, families of victims who have been slain by convicted death-row inmates arTHE BULLETIN!"
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gue that the pain experienced by those on death row does not compare to the anguish experienced by victims and their families. As a child, I was shocked by the apparent higher power of the state to determine the duration of a citizen’s life. However, I later felt that an execution could—and perhaps should—be deserved as I learned about the nature of the committed crimes. I see the logic behind the decisions made by the Appeals Court of Georgia. In ending the life of someone who caused so much trauma to another, the pain seems negligible. On an instinctual and raw level of justice, this makes sense. However, I would like to believe that the Supreme Court is making a nobler and more calculated decision. I hope that the decision of a citizen’s death was not made with the same careless disregard for life that motivated the convicted criminal. Now, more than ever, we are forced to confront the many questions that the death penalty raises. For example, is it at all ethical to cause physical pain to another individual? How many witnesses are needed before the court system can confidently sentence somebody to death? How many incorrect results constitute a complete reevaluation of the judicial system? In my opinion, it is these difficult questions that make the death penalty unsustainable. Given the magnitude of most of the crimes in question, death might seem an appropriate punishment. However, with so many unanswered questions and the potential for doubt, I suspect that we will never reach a point of resolution when it comes to determining the ethicality of the death penalty.
#AskHerMore I
f you’ve noticed that the topic of conversation on the red carpet differs depending on the gender of the celebrity being interviewed, you’re not alone. The typical question asked of a woman seems to be either “Who are you wearing?” or “How long did it take you to get ready for tonight?” while the more evocative questions—those concerning the entertainment industry or the creative work they’ve been involved in—are reserved for the men. Recently, both feminist groups and female celebrities themselves have brought this inequality to light. A movement called #AskHerMore was created by the Representation Project, an organization founded following the release of the documentary about gender inequality in media called Miss Representation. The Representation Project is dedicated to promoting a more accurate portrayal of women in media and society as a whole by dismantling stereotypes and changing the way the female gender is characterized “so that everyone… can fulfill their potential.” The #AskHerMore campaign was launched in response to the pervasive inequality seen on the red carpet. Many Twitter users have since used the hashtag to urge media outlets and reporters to change the way they interview female stars, and to give suggestions of the kinds of questions they’d like to hear. Although the issue may seem trivial, the disparity in what kinds of questions are asked in these interviews is just one way that women’s
and men’s respective gender roles are ingrained in society. Many women in Hollywood are also having no part in the continued unfairness. For example, Cate Blanchett called out a cameraman (“Do you do that to the guys?”) for panning her body during an interview at the SAG Awards. Practices like this send the message that a male star
is valued for his work, while a female star is often more valued for her appearance and fashion sense. Other female celebrities are also getting directly involved in this issue. Several, including Scarlett Johansson, have scoffed at reporters and the media for asking them the same boring, frivolous questions constantly. Likewise, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Julianne THE BULLETIN!"
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Moore recently refused to participate in the “Mani Cam” at the SAG Awards. Last year, Buzzfeed interviewed Kevin Spacey using questions a woman would usually hear, like “Do you have any Spanx on tonight?” Elle.com has also turned the tables and asked men on various red carpets questions about how long it took them to get ready and what they have in their pockets. Most of the men interviewed were pretty easygoing about it, often answering the questions with a bit of humor. It did showcase the inanity of these questions though, especially considering how routine it is for women to be asked about their beauty preparations and the contents of their purse. That’s not to say that it isn’t okay to ask a woman about what she’s wearing, because fashion is a big part of our culture and an entertaining aspect of the red carpet. However, if reporters began asking female celebrities some more substantial questions, it would send the message that women have opinions on topics beyond dress and hair choices. The female celebrities in Hollywood are very articulate and interesting people, and red carpets would be much more fascinating if everyone, not just the men, got to discuss their accomplishments and inspirations. Women are more than the dress they’re wearing, and if this realization became incorporated into every red carpet’s proceedings, it would be a small step toward changing their role in society.
Illustration by Rhea Schmid
by Mary Rankin
Unexpected Allies by Gabriella Sobol
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Photo Illustration by Art Board
he Middle East. When most people think of this region, they conjure up images of violence, conflict, and terrorism. Yet the United States actually has significant ties with various countries in the Middle East, including Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In fact, Israel and Egypt are the leading recipients of the United States’ foreign aid. Ever since World War II, the US has had increased involvement in the Middle East, but after 9/11, counter-terrorism efforts have necessitated an American presence in this volatile area. For example, since the founding of Israel in 1948, the United States has made itself known in the region. America has placed great emphasis on maintaining a close relationship with this country. This is chiefly accomplished through providing Israel with foreign aid. 74% of the aid Israel receives is then used to purchase US goods and services, making this relationship mutually beneficial. The US also provides Israel with military and political aid, specifically through vetoing resolu-
tions that are anti-Israel in the UN SecuThe US is also currently an ally rity Council. This shared support is based with Egypt. In the past, these countries off of the mutual values of democracy and have had minimal relations, mostly due to freedom supported by both countries. In the Pro-Soviet and anti-Israel views of Gasum, the US uses Israel as a strategic ally mal Abdel Nasser, the former President of to get a foothold in the reSaudi Arabia and the United gion. Saudi Arabia and the States also have a long history United States also have a long of being allies, as full diplomatic history of being allies, as full diplomatic relations between relations between the countries the countries were estabwere established in 1933. lished in 1933. Despite clear differences in the ideologies of the two Egypt. Former Egyptian presidents such countries, they have had shared interests as Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak (prein opposing communism and stabilizing Arab Spring) have supported the United oil prices. However, a BBC World Service States’ interests, fostering US support for poll shows that the opinions of the Sau- Egypt. dis towards the US are divided. Despite The Middle East is a tumultous this uncertainty of Saudis about their feel- and constantly changing region; especially ings on America, the countries have been with recent increases in terrorist activity known to have a “special relationship,” worldwide. With these shfting tides, the particularly due to George W. Bush and destiny of US-Middle East relations is not Barack Obama’s close ties with the na- easily predictable. No one can say for certion’s royal family. It is unclear how this tain who will be America’s friend today relationship will change with the recent and who will be its enemy tomorrow. death of the Saudi king. THE BULLETIN!"
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will.i.am
and the World Economic Forum
technology, art, and mathematics). The foundation also has a college preparatory program that provides academic and social support for disadvantaged students and a fund that has given out over $800,000 in scholarships. Through these initiatives, will.i.am hopes to help students achieve success. He says, “I know my purpose is to continue to inspire young people because it’s just going to keep inspiring me back. I want to do my part. I want to invest in America’s future. I am here to let you know that you can be anything you want to be. You are the future of the world.” A celebrity promoting a charity at the World Economic Forum isn’t a new phenomenon. In 2014, Matt Damon spoke on behalf of the nonprofit he cofounded, Water.org. However, Water.org differs from i.am.angel in several crucial ways. Damon’s organization is much older with roots stretching back to 1990, when it was originally WaterPartners International. The nonprofit works to provide clean water and effective sanitation in underdeveloped countries and has offices in Kenya, India, Peru, and Indonesia. In this way, Water.org’s expansive focus aligns with the Forum’s goal of initiating global change. In contrast, i.am.angel caters to a specific area. An examination of the THE BULLETIN!"
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nonprofit’s programs reveals that they only take place in Boyle Heights, the impoverished Los Angeles neighborhood where will.i.am grew up. In collaboration with the local high school, i.am.angel has arranged special opportunities for students that include trips abroad, STEM workshops exclusively for women, and enrichment classes in topics like robotics and Chinese. While these programs appear effective and valuable, they only benefit a small number of people and there seems to be no mention of them expanding outside of this tiny enclave. There can be no denying that the work of i.am.angel is both noble and fruitful. will.i.am’s mission to improve STEM education in order to shape a better future for our nation is especially prevalent. However, rather than operating on a global scale, this nonprofit only serves a specific community. It does not share the World Economic Forum’s purpose of improving the planet as a whole. For this reason, will.i.am’s spot at the summit should have been given to someone with a more solid goal of initiating worldwide change rather than a famous celebrity with a pet project. This incident shows how deeply celebrity culture has infiltrated our political and economic systems, playing out on a global stage.
Photography by Noa Herman
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he World Economic Forum’s annual summit in Davos, Switzerland is usually attended only by those with big names in business, technology, and politics. By inviting esteemed guests with serious clout like Sheryl Sandberg, Angela Merkel, Bill Gates, and Al Gore, the summit promotes innovative ideas that will hopefully change the world. Therefore, it seems surprising that one of the most talked-about attendees at this year’s event was someone best known for a song that poignantly asks “What you gon’ do with all that junk?/All that junk inside your trunk?” Despite not being a prime minister or a technological vanguard, the singer will.i.am (real name William Adams) happily attended the 45th World Economic Forum this past January with a distinct goal in mind. As a member of the Black Eyed Peas and a judge on the UK edition of The Voice, will.i.am is not known for having a serious opinion on global economic policy. So why was he allowed to attend this significant event? Moreover, why would he even want to? The answer lies in will.i.am’s charity project, a foundation humbly called “i.am.angel,” which he spoke about at the Forum. Launched in 2009, the organization has a variety of programs related to young people and STEAM (science,
BY Hannah Miller
SNL at 40
“L
Photo Illustration by Art Board
ive from New York, it’s Saturday night!” has been exuberantly announced on air nearly 800 times. Now in its 40th season, Saturday Night Live is undoubtedly an iconic institution of American television. Since 1975, SNL has aired some of the most celebrated moments in American comedy, from a particularly dirtyminded Sean Connery playing “Celebrity Jeopardy” to New York’s hottest city correspondent, Stefon, filling us in on what’s happening at the club illegally parked behind the Statue of Liberty – spoiler alert: a place where kids can build a bear, but not the kind you think. The catchphrases and punchlines of these eccentric characters have seeped into our vernacular. SNL is also a lens through which Americans interact with the political world. The program’s facetious portrayals of politicians like Sarah Palin and Bill Clinton are perhaps just as familiar to us as the real men and women they parody. Broad, magnified, and goofy in its portrayals, the show satirizes the mannerisms of the people running our country in a way that humanizes the often intimidating and grim political world. After three names, three executive producers, four announcers, and multiple near-cancellations, Saturday Night Live remains one of the few nonnews live programs running and has set the model for a variety show. It has produced some of the most prolific actors, writers, and comedians of the twentieth
by Ariana Busby
and twenty-first centuries – Bill Murray, Tracy Morgan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, the list goes on. And yet, as it reaches its 40th anniversary, many viewers question how long this machine will continue to run. For the 40 seasons it has been on the air, perhaps 35 of them have been met with complaints of the show passing its prime. SNL, critics lament, hasn’t been funny since Gilda Radner/Dana Carvey/ Tina Fey (the name changes approximately every five years). And it’s true, SNL has suffered from plenty of hosts whose talent on the football field or big screen far exceeds their ability to be fun-
ny i n wigs or sketches that fall flat when finally live. But for a show that has aired for 40 years, failure is inevitably mixed with
long-running success. SNL has proven that, for each period of cast re-building or silly fictional talk shows, the show will fully rebound with a new, freshly funny sketch. It’s impossible for a program that is required to write entirely new, non-serialized material every week for 40 years not to experience highs and lows. What the past 40 seasons have shown is that there is always an opportunity for new comedy, and SNL is willing to rise to the occasion. Beyond its role as a source of entertainment, SNL’s relevance and longevity is further indicated by the use of the program as a platform for discussion. Both due to the issues on which it offers commentary and as a well-known establishment of American television, SNL has opened conversations on race, gender, ethnicity, and politics. Most recently, SNL has been making a public effort to diversify its cast – acknowledging the issue in a cold open with Kerry Washington and eventually rectifying its inexplicable lack of black female cast members. With the recent addition of the exceptionally talented Sasheer Zamata, Michael Che, and Leslie Jones to the cast, the 40th season marks the year with the most black cast members to date. It is clear that SNL is more than just a weekly comedy standby. It is a consistent contributor to our culture, and a symbol of our country’s continuous cultural evolution.
Broad, magnified, and goofy in its portrayals, the show satirizes the mannerisms of the people running our country in a way that humanizes the often intimidating and grim political world. THE BULLETIN!"
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Oscars Odyssey
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s the foremost American awards ceremony recognizing masterful achievements in film, the Oscars aim to set the stage for the unbelievable triumphs of our film industry favorites. Historically, however, the Oscars have continuously set a stage on which women and people of color are afforded little to no space. When one examines this year’s nominees, it’s all too clear that the Academy has not only followed in this egregious tradition, but also taken two steps back. First and foremost, all of the Best Picture nominees (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash) are male-focused narratives. 102 of the total 127 nominees are male. Moreover, regarding ethnicity, only nine non-white people have been nominated this year. These unbelievable disparities are most visible in the leading & supporting acting categories. For the first time since 1995, all of the nominees are white. Outcries of whitewashing have quickly come to the forefront as seen with the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite through which users mocked the Academy’s complete dismissal of talented actors of color. After last year’s inspirational wins for Lupita Nyong’o (Best Supporting Actress) and 12 Years A Slave (Best Picture), this year’s nominees list feels like a step in the wrong direction—a step backwards in time. Of course, there is no question of whether the current nominees are deserving or not. Instead, the question lies in whether an all-white nominee pool makes sense in the current landscape of Hollywood talent, especially with David Oyewlowo’s powerfully nuanced portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava Duvernay’s biopic Selma. The near-dismissal of Selma, which only garnered one other nomination aside from Best Picture, not only feels pointed but out-of-touch. THE BULLETIN!"
This pointed homogenization of nominees also bleeds into the categories honoring those behind the camera. Of the five directors (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Richard Linklater, Bennett Miller, Wes Anderson, and Morten Tyldum) and 14 screenwriters nominated, none are women. Again, a feat that hasn’t occurred since 1999. This fact is even more perplexing when considering what nominating Ava Duvernay would have done for history alone. She would have been the first AfricanAmerican woman nominated for Best Director category— and the fifth female director to be nominated in Oscar’s history. Even David Fincher’s Gone Girl received minimal recognition, particularly in its most deserved category— Best Adapted Screenplay. Screenwriter and author Gillian Flynn would have been one of the few women to be nominated for writing the film adaption of her own novel. Her snub is wholly indicative of the Academy’s—and, to a greater extent, Hollywood’s—reluctance to recognize women’s ownership over their creative works. Ultimately, the Academy is at fault for refusing to recognize the achievements of those who are not white, male, or (preferably) both. Even amidst this year’s whitewashing accusations, it’s important to note that the make-up of the nominees have always reflected the overall make-up of the Academy: 77% male, 94% white, and at the average age of 62. Thus, the average Academy member’s taste dramatically differs from that of the average moviegoer— making the term “Oscar bait” more than a mere tendency towards homogenization. Instead, “Oscar bait” becomes a rule used by the Academy to privilege the chosen ones and silence the rest. Either we abandon our expectations of the Academy all together or demand that the Oscars catch up. And quick.
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Illustration by Letty DiLeo
By Karl-Mary Akre
Fifty Shades of Grey on Screen
BY Maddie Pages
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W
Photo Illustration by Art Board
hat is it that is so irresistibly attractive about the “bad boy?” The Byronic hero, popularized by Victorian writers like the Bröntes during the heyday of the Romantic novel, should be familiar to anyone not living under a rock during the Twilight-inspired vampire mania of the mid-2000s. Thanks to Twilight, Edward Cullen has joined the ranks of heartthrobs like James Bond, James Dean, and Heathcliff in our fantasies. Now there is yet another enigmatic hero making his way into the hearts of 100 million plus readers: Christian Grey. Christian Grey is the main love interest of E. L. James’ Twilight fanfiction turned erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey: a troubled billionaire with a taste for BDSM—short for bondage, dominance/submission, slave/master, and sadism/masochism. He is also evidently irresistible to protagonist Anastasia Steele, and she soon takes on the role of his “submissive” in a sexual relationship that comes with its own “binding” contract. After its overwhelming success in print, this infamous novel has achieved cinematic stardom with its Valnetine’s Day release. The film adaptation stars the stunning Dakota Johnson and smoldering Jamie Dornan. However, the upcoming premiere has led to a resurgence of concerns regarding the representation of BDSM in the novel. The representation of BDSM in Fifty Shades of Grey is “abusive”, says Michael*, the president of Columbia’s BDSM and kink education club Conversio Virium (CV). Michael cites instances in the novel when Anastasia reveals hesitance or withdraws consent entirely during sexual encounters: this is a “total no-go in the [BDSM] community. Active and mutual consent is the foundation of BDSM, and many members of the BDSM community see Anastasia and Christian’s relationship as a violation of that.” Michael is somewhat undecided about what Fifty Shades could mean for BDSM. “[O]n the one hand, it is good to have our community seem less alien...but at the same time, because we are not well-known, it is inevita-
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ble that our community will be misrepresented in some ways,” he explains. Michael hopes this will be an opportunity to educate newly interested individuals, particularly in the “zero-tolerance policy for consent violators.” There is no evidence that instances of consent violation are higher in the BDSM community than anywhere else, but Michael points out that there are individuals who do try to take advantage of the vulnerability of their sexual partners during “scenes”. Those who respect its true nature would not consider these individuals members of the BDSM community. “I don’t know anyone in the BDSM community who derives pleasure from taking advantage of someone without their consent,” he says. “If consent is absent, this becomes terrifying for all parties involved.” Of those people seeking to explore BDSM based on its portrayal in the book, Michael says, “People that come into the community because they read [Fifty Shades of Grey] or saw the movie may be more vulnerable to...instances of abuse simply because [they don’t] know better. I think that if our community is mindful and really oriented towards more consent awareness...I don’t think there will be a problem with the increasing number of people who are coming into our community [because of Fifty Shades of Grey].” So if you plan to see the film in the future, be mindful of what you are watching. Relationships in which either party is not consenting—to anything, BDSM or otherwise—are not a healthy model. Non-consent is neither romantic nor sexy—it’s a violation. I think we could all take some advice from the real BDSM community, and make respect the first and most important priority. *name has been changed at the request of the interviewee
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Gallery Gallivanting: Part File Score and Archipelago by Lauren Zhang
T
Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page
he Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, located at 521 West 21st Street in Chelsea, has a simple storefront that is almost lost between the neighboring parking garage and Manhattan Mini Storage. Founded in 1994 by Tanya Bonakdar, the gallery originally opened in SoHo and moved to its current location in 1998. The gallery has become a leader in dealing art, specializing in contemporary works of all media. It represents over thirty international artists, many of whom held their first solo New York exhibitions at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. These artists include Susan Philipsz and Peggy Preheim, both from Scotland, whose respective exhibitions, Part File Score and Archipelago, ran from January 8th until February 14th. The gallery divided its space equally between the two exhibitions, with the first floor dedicated to Part File Score and the second floor to Archipelago. Philipsz’s work was arranged in a single room, and included a 24-channel sound installation and several large prints. These pieces were influenced by the story of Hanns Eisler, who was forced to immigrate to the United States from Nazi Germany in the 1930s because of his Jewish ancestry. He composed scores for films in Los Angeles until he was suspected of communism and was subsequently
blacklisted. The sound installation was based on Eisler’s musical compositions for early motion pictures, with each note of the compositions isolated on its own speaker. The accompanying prints featured digital reproductions of his scores overlaid with sections of his FBI file. The most notable aspect of the
tions. The deletions were similar to the composer’s own erasure of musical notation, which created a parallel between the development of the Red Scare and the progression of music. The Archipelago exhibition was distributed throughout a few small rooms, and included many smaller-scale pieces. Among these were the photographic-style drawings Preheim is known for, along with a pressed floral element, a new development in her art. The flowers, leaves, and grasses the artist incorporated reflect her interest in nature, the transformative process, and the repetition of human experience and time. Her pieces related not only to natural phenomena, but also to art and cultural history. Her choice of floral elements, for example, referenced Joseph Beuys’s compositions that integrate dried leaves and flowers. When compared to Part File Score, the Archipelago exhibition felt slightly underwhelming. Preheim’s careful attention to minute pencil drawings and placement of floral elements demonstrated her technical skill, and familiar images of certain leaves and children playing were very comforting. However, her pieces were not as powerful as Philipsz’s in terms of subject matter and engagement.
“”
The gallery has become a leader in dealing art, specializing in contemporary works of all media. It represents over thirty international artists, many of whom held their first solo New York exhibitions at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. exhibition was its ability to engage viewers with the ten or so hanging speakers placed throughout the room. Since each speaker only played one note, the music was slightly discordant and created an appropriate atmosphere for the subject matter of its accompanying prints. The prints were sections Philipsz chose from the FBI archive that demonstrated the rampant paranoia of the McCarthy era. The text of these sections had been largely deleted by black marker and included inane descriptions of Eisler’s acTHE BULLETIN!"
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New York City TV Apartments:
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Fact or Fiction?
.he enticing NewYork City lifestyle that we’ve all seen on television makes us wonder if our lives after college will include fancy penthouses and hip Brooklyn lofts to house all our hopes and dreams for the big city. But are the NYC lifestyles of these beloved TV characters, who spend most of their time dealing with their constantly evolving identities and entertaining drama, actually realistic? Beware because these TV shows may be lying to you. The next time you binge watch these television shows in your dorm, remember that you’re the one living the realistic NYC lifestyle as
by Briana Draguca
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Monica Geller’s Apartment: Friends
I
t sounds like the perfect scenario: Living in an apartment with all your friends in hip Greenwich Village all while trying to get your life together. Monica Geller’s apartment in Friends is literally the hub of friendship for this beloved TV show. All six cast members have left their mark on the place, alternating between the role of Monica’s roommate. The apartment has an open floor plan that consists of a living room and kitchen, which isn’t a usual characteristic of cramped, railroad style NYC apartments. In addition, Monica’s apartment has two comfortable bedrooms and a balcony, which would normally be a rusty fire escape hanging off the side of the building. It is explained that Monica’s grandmother is subletting the apartment to her, making the rent somewhat more reasonable, though it is hard to believe that a bunch of financially unstable 20-something year olds in the late 90s could afford what could’ve actually been worth $3,000-$5,000 a month. Nevertheless, Monica’s apartment signifies the chapter of life that many young adults come to this city to write.
Hannah’s Apartment: Girls
I
think it’s safe to say that the we’ve all looked in the mirror at least once and told ourselves “You are from New York therefore you are just naturally interesting,” embodying the quirky Hannah Horvath from Lena Dunham’s Girls. Hannah’s Greenpoint apartment comes to life with brightly colored walls, mismatched Ikea furniture, and retro décor. The space consists of two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a joint kitchen and living room, which is a bit large when compared to a typical Brooklyn walk-up. The recent flock of hip young adults to this up and coming neighborhood affirms this choice of setting. Though it’s slightly unrealistic that Hannah along with her financially unstable roommates could afford the soaring rent of about $1,800 in this hip area, Girls reflects an accurate approach to the urban dwellings of a four-girl ensemble trying to find their way in NYC.
Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment: Sex and the City
C
Illustration by Lauren Espeseth
arrie Bradshaw may be one of the most iconic characters of television but I’d like to argue that her classic Upper East Side brownstone holds just as much prestige. The gorgeous brownstone that Carrie Bradshaw lives in is a classic choice of living for many wealthy Manhattanites. Her floor plan includes a spacious bedroom and living space, a full kitchen, a full bathroom and of course, a walk-in closet that is probably bigger than my dorm. It is highly unlikely that a journalist who writes columns about her sexual relationships just once a week and who also has an excessive obsession with splurging on Manolos could actually afford an apartment that would be worth $3,800 a month on the Upper East Side. You could go see the infamous Carrie Bradshaw brownstone that was used for filming in the West Village, which was just recently sold for $9.65 million. Be sure you envision Carrie Bradshaw herself gazing out the window as she writes about sex and the city.
Blair Waldorf’s Apartment: Gossip Girl
“G
ossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite”… or in this case into Queen B’s impeccable penthouse. Blair Waldorf’s palace sits atop a real building located on Fifth Avenue and is worth about $12.1 million, which would be considered a reasonable price for the Waldorfs. The penthouse has its own private elevator that leads into the grand foyer that overlooks Central Park. The mysterious and handsome Chuck Bass can usually be found waiting for his queen at the bottom of the elegant staircase, which leads up to Blair’s spacious bedroom and lavish walk-in closet. There are at least three bedrooms, five bathrooms, a library, a dining room, and a grand kitchen. For now it looks like we’ll just have to vicariously live the life of the young and fabulous from the comfort of our 11x14 dorms and dream of the day when we’ll have our own Dorotas. THE BULLETIN!"
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A Brief History of
#NYFW F
or over 70 years, New York Fashion Week has been one of the most important weeks of the year for many influential New Yorkers. One of the “Big Four” (alongside London, Milan, and Paris), New York Fashion Week fills Manhattan with the most iconic fashion innovators in the world. As time has passed, the presence of New York as one of the main cities for Fashion Week has allowed American designers to gain footing and make an entrance into the fashion world, launching the lines of some of today’s most influential designers like Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, The Row, and Proenza Schouler. New York Fashion Week began during World War II, when editors and retailers realized that European fashion weeks couldn’t happen. The leading figures of NewYork City fashion assumed responsibility during this time and took on the challenge of bringing a fashion week to the United States. In the early years, Fashion Week was scattered around Manhattan without any real home base. It was not until 1994 that Bryant Park became the central hub for Fashion Week, creating the frenzied and exciting environment that we now immediately associate with NYFW. Lincoln Center officially took over as the main location in 2010—to mixed reviews—but more and more ma-
jor designers have been taking matters into their own hands and moving off-site, some even venturing into the outer boroughs. This year the New York shows ran February 12-19 with designers showing less at Lincoln Center but more downtown.The place to be this season? Reportedly, the Lower East Side was the spot to see and be seen in between downtown shows. After this season, NYFW will be required to leave its Lincoln Center hub and find a new home base after noise complaints from neighbors and anger from New Yorkers whose access to city-owned Damrosch Park has been denied because of the presence of Fashion Week tents and equipment. Early reports hint that come September, Fashion Week will relocate further downtown from Lincoln Center. Additionally, this February’s NYFW was the first in many years that was not sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. So far, there are no signs that the event will suffer because of this. Inside the doors and alongside the runway, the coveted front rows that were once exclusively reserved for the top fashion editors look vastly different. The best seats are now crowded with Alist stars and the most famous faces the fashion houses can find. Much of the preshow hype concerns whether Sarah Jessica Parker will be seen at Calvin Klein THE BULLETIN!"
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or Alexa Chung will be spotted at Marc Jacobs. What shows will Rihanna, Olivia Palermo, and Allison Williams attend, let alone the cast of Orange is the New Black? In the age of social media, getting a spot in the front row has become more and more important, especially for the influx of fashion bloggers. Those who aren’t in the fashion loop may be unfamiliar with Leandra Medine, Bryanboy, Danielle Bernstein, and Chiara Ferragni, yet these fashion bloggers are the new faces of the front row (along with their combined 5.3 million Instagram followers). While the Anna Wintours, Grace Coddingtons, and Eva Chens of the world will undoubtedly remain in the front row, many others are being pushed back to accommodate the biggest names and brightest faces of film, television, music, and social media. New York Fashion Week remains the best place to watch the development of American fashion—from the classics like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, to the established youth of Alexander Wang and Rodarte, to up-and-comers such as Hood by Air and Nonoo. Despite all of the tumultuous changes of NYFW, some things remain constant. Just as one can count on the classics of American fashion making an appearance, we can be sure that Anna Wintour will be sitting front and center for as long as she reigns.
Illustration by Noa Herman
by Ali McQueen
A Student's Guide To nYC by Megan Cerbin
U
Illustration by Lauren Espeseth
nless you make at least a sixfigure salary, it can be hard to afford living in New York City. When you add the costs of being a student into the mix, it’s easy to avoid gallivanting around the city in favor of saving money for more practical purchases. However, there is so much to see beyond the confines of 116th and 120th. As luck would have it, many of these attractions come with a price tag even a student can’t turn down. New York is world famous for its shopping, but unfortunately also world famous for its prices. If expensive boutiques and department stores just aren’t in the budget right now, a great alternative is Artists and Fleas. A flea market catering to vintage and art lovers, Artists and Fleas offers a wide range of vintage clothes and collectibles, hand-crafted jewelry, and unique art pieces. Depending on the vendor and item being sold, some prices may be a little higher; however, the flea market is an excellent place to bargain hunt for the perfect item to add to your wardrobe or room. And, even if you walk away empty handed, the free entrance and eye-catching items are worth the trek out to one of the market’s two locations in Chelsea or Williamsburg. The Williamsburg location is open only on weekends, whereas the Chelsea location is also open
during the week. Although it’s not spring quite yet, one budget-friendly place to enjoy the outdoors and the remnants of winter is the High Line. The public park on Manhattan’s West Side runs 1.45 miles from Gansevoort Avenue to West 34th Street; all 1.45 miles of it sits elevated above street level along an old railway line. The eclectic mixture of railroad tracks, stone benches, flowing fountains, and lush greenery is gorgeous in the spring and summer—however, the High Line is just as beautiful and lively in the winter months. Throughout the month of February, any time there is a snowfall, families and individuals of all ages are invited to the park to build snow sculptures. Builders are then invited to take pictures of their creations and share them on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag #SculptOff to enter for a chance to win one of a variety of prizes offered by New York businesses. The High Line is open from 7am to 7pm in the winter, and often holds a variety of free events and exhibits throughout the park, so check out their website if you’re looking for a fun alternative to a costly night on the town. If the cold is still making you long for spring, take the two or three train up into Brooklyn to explore the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Admission is only five THE BULLETIN!"
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dollars with a student ID, and the attraction boasts more than twenty outdoor gardens like the Rose Garden and Lily Pool Terrace. If it’s still too cold to venture outside, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is also home to indoor conservatories housing a variety of tropical, aquatic, temperate, and arid plants. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday until 4:30pm, so it would make a perfect spot to while away a weekend afternoon. Dying for some more weekend nightlife, but not willing or able to spend mega bucks paying to get into expensive clubs and concerts? Most Friday and Saturday nights from September through May, the BAMcafé Live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music offers free musical performances. The musical offerings vary from R&B, jazz, pop, world, and rock, and most begin at 9 pm—however, space is limited and early arrival is recommended. All performances take place in the Lepercq Space, a lounge and bar in the Peter Jay Sharp building. It’s the perfect place to take in some beautiful views and catchy tunes. Although New York is a city that caters to the rich, there are a myriad of options available to those whose salaries have not yet climbed to staggering heights, especially if you’re willing to explore.