THE BARNARD
Marissa Mayer Alice in Wonderland Women in Comedy The First Latina Princess Hillary Clinton The Scream & More
BULLETIN DECEMBER 2012
Letter from the Editors
BEYOND THE GATES Campus is aglow — strings of lights wrapped around banisters and doorways, College Walk decorated in its season’s best, and students’ bedroom lights glowing long into the night. The pre-finals season has quickly replaced all fa-la-la-la-la-ing with late-night study sessions and hurried, freshly printed drafts of theses. Yet, at the risk of sounding like a Well Woman email, finals can present the perfect opportunity to take a break from the end-of-the-semester blues by exploring. Manhattan is its best around December; just think: outdoor ice-skating, holiday markets, Max Brenner hot chocolate being sold in said markets, peppermint flavored anything... The Bulletin presents its 2012 Holiday Issue, designed to encourage everyone to put down the books and close the laptops — if only for an afternoon. These articles strive to promote further exploration of our surroundings, even during this busy season. Whether it’s discovering a nearby museum, carving out time to take advantage of campus resources and guest speakers, reflecting upon the successes and failures of the nation’s leaders, interacting with the art surrounding us during our daily commutes, or even taking a moment to watch and then critically examine the newest Disney princess, taking time away from the library is critical to make it through this most-demanding season. We hope you each have a fun, safe, and relaxing holiday season.
Until 2013,
CHRISTINE PETRIN Editor-in-Chief
RAY ROGERS Managing Editor
DECEMBER / 2012
in this issue
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANA BAUTISTA
POLITICS & OPINION
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
from the white house to a Disney castle - re-
Catherine & Heathcliff will make you scream
examine women today
for more + the music & dance scenes at
Hillary Clinton / 12
Barnard
BEHIND THE SCENES / 5
Marissa Mayer / 13
the clock / 28
Lina Smorra and Lyndsay Patterson make
first latina princess / 14
the scream / 29
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR / 3 MASTHEAD / 4
oscars / 30
their Bulletin debuts in this month’s double issue #TRENDING GIFT GUIDE / 6
CENTERPIECE
barre-nard / 31
New York City the museum: unconfined
women in comedy / 32
art & transportation / 15
WBAR / 33 Nicholas R. museum / 34
get ready, these are a few of our favorite [holiday] things!
NEW YORK CITY LIVING
erotic classics / 36
a sleepover on the street, a new iPod? and an BEAR ESSENTIALS / 37
FEATURES
awkward first date - we give you our only-in-
as the year comes to a close, take a look back
NY stories
at past memories perhaps while whipping up
SNL / 20
SPOTLIGHT
a fresh batch of baked goods
jaded? / 22
Miriam Q&A / 38
Barnard bites / 10
playbutton / 24
advice i’d give / 11
dating diary / 26
THE CALENDAR / 39 what we’re looking forward to over break
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BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOGRAPHS / ANA BAUTISTA MODELS / LINA SMORRA & LYNDSAY PATTERSON CREATIVE DIRECTOR / MEGAN MAQUERA SUPERVISING EDITOR / CLEO LEVIN
http://thebarnardbulletin.com
#HOLIDAY GIFTS 1. 3.
2.
20 Things That Make This Holiday Season Cheerful
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1. Gingerbread Pinkberry 2. IPad Mini from Apple 3. Gap’s Colorful winter-wear 4. Dior’s Holiday make-up pallette 5. Rebecca Minkoff’s Holiday Collection 6. Deborah Lippman’s Nail Lacquer 7. Kissed Caramel Vodka by Smirnoff 8. Les Miserables, the movie 9. Starbucks holiday drinks 10. Cole Hann “Chelsea” pumps
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11. Victoria Secret’s Holday pajama sets 12. Bendel’s 24 Karat Gold chocolate 13. The Rockefeller Center Chrismas tree 14. Ugg’s newest line of loafers 15. Kate Spade’s sassy accessories 16. Dylan’s Candy Bar’s Holiday treats 17. Common Goods Scratch Map 18. 3-3PO Mimobot USB Drive 19. Madewell Camera Clutch 20. Japanese “Chaleur” Iron Stamp
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS
&
GLORIOUS NEW YEAR LOVE, THE BULLETIN
FEATURES Barnard Bites For The Holidays
A
By Amanda Brown
round this time of year, nostalgia settles in as thoughts of warm mugs of hot chocolate and that comfy couch at home wiggle their way into the minds of cramming students. With these two recipes, you can recreate that relaxed, holiday feeling in your dorm room, suite, or apartment, without making any major grocery store purchases. Kitchen Sink Holiday Cookies are an amalgamation of what-
ever kind of cookie additions your heart desires. Other than staples such as butter, an egg, vanilla extract, flour, and cocoa powder, everything else can be snagged from the dining hall in the John Jay Fro-Yo Sta-
tion (think: brown sugar, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips).
Thick, Parisian hot chocolate requires no store-bought ingredi-
ents unless you’re inclined to use high quality chocolate. Or add
something special such as fleur de sel or cinnamon sticks since
John Jay has all the bittersweet chocolate you’ll need, and whole
milk is readily available in all of the dining halls. So, don’t let
the winter doldrums get the better of you! Whip up a
quick batch of holiday-themed cookies, wrap yourself in
a blanket, and settle down with a warm cup of hot
chocolate. The massive pile of work on your desk can
wait, if only for a little while.
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1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups whole milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup bittersweet chocolate
½ cup cashews chopped
Optional additions:
1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks ¾ cup M&M’s in festive colors
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
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Pinch of sea salt chocolate
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Mix in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
Add in the chocolate, mixing it constantly at a low boil until
Add in any or all of the optional additions or anything else you
melted and steaming.
think might mix well.
If desired, add sea salt and/or sugar.
Scoop about 2 tbsp. of the mixture for each cookie onto the
Serve in mugs and add a little milk if it’s too thick.
sheet, making sure none are touching.
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Advice I’d Give My Fifteen-Year Old Self By Kelly Kang
I
n December 2011, United Nations Reso-
ing out what will happen, all the scenarios you in stressed and overwhelmed, and reminded
lution 66/170 created The United Nations play out in your mind – they’re useless. And us that “Nothing is perfect in life. Nothing and International Day of the Girl Child “to that’s a good thing. Relax and let the future ar-
recognize girls’ rights and the unique challeng-
rive on its own time and in its own way. Allow
no one.” If I could revisit myself at fifteen-years
es girls face around the world.” As this past Oc- yourself to be astonished.”
old, a period of infinite awkward situations
tober 11 was the first Day of the Girl, the UN
The Bulletin decided to pose the same ques-
and mindless mood swings, I would grab my
called for an end to child marriage, “stressing
tion to the women on campus. President Spar
then-self by the shoulders and advise her to
education as one of the best strategies for pro-
weighed in, saying “that the people who domi- have some dignity. If I had possessed dignity,
tecting girls against this harmful practice.” In nate your life now won’t actually dominate
I would not have bent for misguided societal
honor of the Day of the Girl, leading women in your life forever.” When asked if she would go expectations. I would have had the self-respect a diverse range of fields contributed to a CNN
back and correct the mistakes she made, she
to understand that I can be wrong, and that
special titled, “‘To my 15-year-old self ’: Things replied, “No. It’s trite to say, but wisdom does
oftentimes the advice of others is golden. In
I wish I’d known.”
come from making mistakes. The key is to real-
a counter-intuitive manner, I would have had
As women such as Oprah and Arianna
ize them as mistakes, not fatal errors, and then
enough self-respect to not be prideful.
Huffington deliberated on their own lives, and
figure out how best to pick up the pieces and
the mistakes they all made, perhaps the wisest
move ahead.”
piece of advice came from Robin Bernstein, a historian at Harvard University. In a manner
Yet, this is something I continually fight through today. I am beginning to understand
An unnamed professor noted that a woman’s that, like Christiane Amanpour, another contraditional “duty to get along and facilitate”
tributor to the CNN feature, “Perhaps the
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that is only fitting for such an adept historian, inhibits women even today. She added, “Don’t most important thing I could say is to never Bernstein reflected on the vast amount of at-
ever say no to yourself. Let somebody else say be thrown by failure and mistakes. Each and
tention that is given to the future: “I have bad
no…we censor ourselves.” This sort of censor-
everything that happens…is a valuable, life-
news for you: You’re not clairvoyant. Not even ship leads to a greater underestimation of our-
learning tool.” Indeed, life is not the culmina-
a little. You have no idea how the future will
tion of perfect decisions and sound wisdom,
unfold. But it will unfold, slowly and quickly
selves. Lydia Young, the supervisor of Hewitt dining
but rather a narrative of lessons and achieve-
and slowly again, in ways that you cannot now hall, responded passionately, stating that, “No
ments that stem from a series of wince-worthy
begin to imagine. So stop trying to guess what’s matter how hard it is, it is doable.” She lament- mistakes made at fifteen and beyond. coming next. All the effort you put into figur-
ed over the large number of students who walk !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
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POLITICS & OPINION
!
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lthough Obama has been elected for another term as President of the United States, Hillary Clinton has decided not continue her role as his Secretary of State. Obama’s former opponent turned premier diplomat, Clinton played a diplomatic hand in events surrounding the Arab Spring. With her negotiation, the U.S. aided in Libya’s overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and Egypt’s transition to a democratically elected government. In addition, she forged peaceful relationships between the United States and Burma and negotiated the release of Chinese civil rights activist, Chen Guangcheng, from detainment. Just recently, she has proved an instrumental player in the peace talks surrounding the conflict in Gaza and Israel. However, since the good that men do is ‘oft interred with their bones, as Americans reflect upon Clinton’s performance over the past four years, we must pay particular attention to her missteps and oversights. The blot on her otherwise stellar tenure as Secretary of State was the September 2012 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed, including Libyan-loved ambassador Chris Stevens. Initially perceived as a riot in response to an American-made video deriding the Prophet Muhammad, the true motive behind the consular attacks was left ambiguous for weeks after the event. Obama declared the consulate attack to be the work of terrorists, but received flack for explaining the incident in roundabout and inconclusive ways. People also railed him for the lax security of the American consulate in Benghazi––a strange fact for the consulate in a country with a growing al-Qaeda presence. The Obama administration was also criticized for trying to conceal the truth of what happened in Libya. The unclarity of it all prompted the Republican candidate for president, Mitt Romney, to use the Benghazi attack
as fodder to undermine Obama in the 2012 presidential debates. Romney cited that the President did not state that this was a terrorist attack as soon as he should have. These vicious back and forths were inconclusive, and there is still ambiguity as to what really happened in Benghazi. Mrs. Clinton, however, took full fall for the consulate attack. She stated, “I’m responsible for diplomats’ security,” and said that all U.S. consulates abroad are under her oversight. Why did she take such unequivocal blame for the attack? The Secretary of State is one of the most
important members of the President’s Cabinet, and the position entails close interactions with the President. Their jobs are two sides of the same coin as the Secretary deals primarily with the United States’ interactions abroad, while the President focuses more on domestic issues. Although Clinton and Obama began their political relationship as competitors, perhaps Clinton took the fall for the attacks as a way to divert negative attention from Obama because he was in the midst of a campaign for reelection. This might have been an attempt to relieve him of culpability that Republicans were sure to criticize him on (which they did anyway), and keep his image clean for potential voters. What have Secretaries of State in the past done with similar disasters in foreign !"#$%&''#!()$*$$
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affairs? The Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981 was an event that also demanded the attention of the Secretary of State. One of the largest diplomatic failures in U.S. history, Secretary Cyrus Vance navigated a different path with the predicament in Iran than Secretary Clinton did with Benghazi. Vance refused to carry out President Jimmy Carter’s initial plan to rescue the American hostages because it required much military action. Vance did not want to jeopardize the diplomatic negotiations he had been working on with the Iranian captors by partaking in a violent rescue mission. Ultimately, the military plan did not go though; however the tension of opinion between Vance and Carter reflects quite a different relationship between president and secretary than the one that Obama and Clinton share. The difference in roles that the Secretary of State has played in the past demonstrates the flexibility that the position requires, and that because the relationship between the secretary and the president is so interrelated, there is room for both agreement and friction. Vance clearly felt a greater tie to his own principles than he did to President Carter’s. Clinton, on the other hand, stood by President Obama by transferring the blame from his shoulders to her own, whether she truly believed the consulate attack was her fault or not. However, because consulate security is so complex, it would be nearly impossible to place all the blame on Clinton for the Libyan breach. It is her responsibility to oversee such foreign hubs from a bird’s eye view, but there are many others who are involved in the operation of consulate safety abroad. To accept culpability for such an attack on American foreign ambassadors reveals Clinton’s rectitude and dedication to the greater good for her administration and party. Obama’s next Secretary of State has large shoes to fill.
Marissa Mayer By Rebecca Deczynski sans baby-bump rejects a crucial opportunity to advocate for women who wish to simultaneously work and start a family. Why didn’t Mayer take advantage of her position as a businesswoman and a mother to show that the two aren’t mutually exclusive?
“Why didn’t Mayer take advantage of her position as a businesswoman and a mother to show that the two aren’t mutually exclusive?” Mayer herself was the one who ultimately decided to use a pre-pregnancy photo; she had declined to pose for the cover—which is unsurprising, considering that she is undoubtedly busy running a $5 billion company, all the while attempting to maintain privacy despite her highly public job. Although Mayer can opt to protect her personal life from the media, her status as a high-profile CEO prevents her from ever completely hiding her private life, namely her pregnancy. And with the ultimate feminist goal of giving women unconditional sovereignty of their own bodies, one questions why
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Mayer should be pressured to showcase her pregnancy for the public. By overemphasizing Mayer-as-mother, the media, and perhaps society as a whole, subsumes the importance of her position as a businesswoman for the importance of her reproductive cycle. She is a successful businesswoman, and the successes in her work and career are anything but sparse: graduate of
A
Stanford University, Google’s first female engi-
t 37 years old, Yahoo! executive
job and personal life. After Mayer was named
neer, board member of the New York City Bal-
Marissa Mayer is the youngest
CEO, she appeared on the October cover
let and the San Francisco Museum of Modern
CEO of a Fortune 500 company—
of Fortune—the same month her baby was
Art. Truly, the media’s focus should be on her
and a new mom. Mayer’s decision to accept
due— but her cover photo noticeably lacked
work, not the status of her pregnancy.
the CEO position in June 2012, just months
a pregnant physique as she decided to submit
And yet, while women who wish to have
before her due date in October, demonstrated
a pre-pregnancy picture instead. The mo-
children and hold a high-powered position can
on a national level the challenges so many ev-
tives behind the feature were questioned: why
look to Mayer as inspiration, it is ultimately re-
eryday women face as they strive for a balance
didn’t she proudly pose with her baby-bump?
strictive for people to expect Mayer to be the
between job and family, or more generally,
Some argue that using an image of Mayer
spokeswomen for all pregnant businesswomen.
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Disney’s Princess Sofia: (almost) Latina?
S
By Ray Rogers least. Hollywood, media, and cartoons all
racial society. But, it’s not. And, as the tweeter
on November 18th in a made-for-TV have a long history of erasure of culture and
aptly pointed out, this is precisely the prob-
ofia, Disney’s latest Princess, debuted
color in favor of White characters. Take, for
lem: Disney made a decision to half-endorse
Princess. She is a little girl with light brown example, The Last Airbender, where the main
Sofia as a Latina princess, and they seem to
hair, huge blue eyes, and white skin. The plot character, Aang, is indisputably meant to be
have drawn what appears to be a stereotypical
is predictable: Sofia’s mother, Miranda, finds of Asian descent, and yet, Hollywood cast
Princess (Read: White) in order to reinforce a
movie, Sofia the First: Once Upon a
true love while buying a slipper, and then
a white child to play the role. The other two “universal” image. heroes, Katara and Sokka, were also cast as
After receiving incredible pushback from
white actors, despite their definitively not
advocacy groups and the online community,
white appearance in the cartoon. In fact, the Disney’s Senior Vice President of Original
promptly marries a King with her little tot in
only character cast as a person of color was
Programing and General Manager of Disney
Zuko, the enemy. In so doing, the culture of
Junior Worldwide released a statement on
“whitewashing” associates White with Good
their Facebook page: “Some of you may have
and Anything-Else with Bad.
seen the recent news stories on whether Sofia
In light of the mass media’s tendency to
is or isn’t a ‘Latina princess.’ What’s impor-
whitewash everything, Vargas’s concern is
tant to know is that Sofia is a fairytale girl
well taken. Disney could have put more effort
who lives in a fairytale world.” Right, so So-
into creating a character who had more La-
fia is nothing more than a cartoon, and she
tina culture surrounding her; merely stating
is make-believe. Thank you for clearing that
that she is Latina is not enough. However, this
up, Disney.
tow. The Evil Stepsisters are jealous of the new half of the debate is also rather reductive. To
Ultimately, Disney’s fumbling an-
princess, Sofia, and there is an Evil Villain
say that every Latina must have dark brown swers and responses to the entire cultural,
plotting to take over the land of Enchancia.
skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes simply racial, and ethnic discussion surrounding
Fear not, however. *Spoiler Alert* The movie
is not an accurate reflection of reality. Latinas their latest invention leave something to be
ends happily, achieved with the help of three cannot be defined or reduced to a singular
desired. In an interview with Fox Latino, Alex
Fairy Godmothers, and an uncanny ability to narrative or singular phenotype. Some Lati-
Nogales, President and CEO for the National
speak to animals. Creative genius.
nas do have light skin, light brown hair, and Hispanic Media Coalition, said: “We need
What’s different about this little blue-eyed blue eyes. Therefore, some Latina girls must more heroes right now that are very identifibe able to identify with Sofia’s appearance. Yet
able... we’re in a time where Latinos are tak-
keted her as a Latina Princess. The execu-
there’s still something off about how Disney
ing the blame for everything that is wrong
tive producer for the movie, Jaime Mitchell, approached the marketing and production of
with America. This is not a time to pussyfoot
told Entertainment Weekly: “She is Latina.”
this character. One tweet captured the true
around. If you’re going to promote this to the
A statement which seems clear enough, but
problem with this version of whitewashing: public, and to Latinos in particular, do us a
people took to the blogosphere and Twitter in “@Latina There are fair-skinned Latinas ...
favor and make her a real Latina.” Of course,
What’s problematic is Disney saying they
Nogales is referring to a problem that runs
an outrage. If Sofia is Latina, why hadn’t Dis-
ney made her just a tad darker, perhaps with made her blanquita so kids could identify deeper than presenting a Princess with darkbrown eyes, and something that was more readily identifiable à la Dora the Explorer?
er skin and eyes.
with her =(.” Mitchell’s statement that Sofia is definitively
Disney was incredibly soft and unprepared
Carmelina Vargas, an aspiring musician, Latina contradicts the Vice President of Dis- to make any assertion that Sofia, other than tweeted: “Wake me up when Disney’s first ney Junior’s programming, Joe D’Ambrosia.
the spelling of her name, is Latina. Disney
#Latina princess looks like me smh.” This
The VP is quoted by Entertainment Weekly failed to produce a Latina Princess, in essence.
concern was commonly expressed, as angry
as saying: “We never actually call it out [So- And yet, despite the emotionally tumultuous
tweets poured out, claiming that Sofia is not
fia’s ethnicity]. When we go into schools [to
waters, Disney will move forward with their
relatable, and in essence, implying that she is
talk to young students about the show], what
kind-of Latina, mostly make-believe Prin-
not perhaps truly Latina, or, at the very least,
I find fascinating is that every girl thinks that
cess. A weekly show is set to debut in 2013,
not Latina enough.
they’re Sofia.” This statement would potential- and with its arrival, another slew of criticisms
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and controversy will certainly surface.
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character, is that Disney haphazardly mar-
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N
ew York City is a place filled to the
out their commute. One of their major projects
map on the floor of the Chambers Street/Park
brim with people in a rush – every-
involves continually installing new permanent
Place stop, Artemis, Acrobats, Diva and Danc-
one wants to get where they’re going
artistic works at subway stations across the city.
ers at Lincoln Center, Eric Fischl’s homage to
and get there fast. People walk from crowded
To date over one hundred artists have created
the circus at Penn Station, the mosaic collage at
streets into crowded subway stations without
original works specifically designed for the
DeKalb Avenue, and the explosion of marbles
noticing that art is all around them.
subway station. Commissions are generally
at the 42nd Street Port Authority Bus Terminal.
The transit system in this city is practically
open-ended, and the works range from intri-
The program gives New Yorkers an opportu-
exploding with original art. Beauty and cre-
cate and brightly colored mosaics, which play
nity to engage with art being produced around
ativity are scattered throughout the network
off the surroundings, to shadow boxes and
the city. To some, one of the joys of public art is
in permanent visual art installments, poetic
bronze sculpture. These projects are most of-
just happening upon it without knowing it was
works, independent musicians, and even the
ten meant to celebrate the unique qualities or
there, but for those who want to seek out these
stops themselves.
history of the station’s location, giving voyagers
works, Arts for Transit has a very user-friendly
!"##$%&$'()*)$+,+'+-'+.)*$*))/$'%$'0-,*&%01$-$'0+2 %,$'()$*345-6$+,'%$*%1)'(+,7$8))2)09$-$:3#'30-##6 ),7-7+,7$;%30,)6$'(0%37($'()$:+'6$%&$<)5$=%0/>? This tradition of artistic expression has been
the opportunity to engage with the culture of a
catalogue of all their products both online and
a part of the subway system since it first opened
neighborhood even if they only pass beneath
through iPhone and Android apps.
in 1904. The original tile art was produced by
it. Works like Primavera, a glass mosaic at the
The Arts for Transit commission also has a
Heins & LaFarge, an architectural firm hired
191st Street station or the eponymous Memo-
myriad of other projects that include posters of
after several high profile successes design-
ries of Twenty-Third Street enchant subway-
original works celebrating different locations
ing the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and
goers with rich and vibrant images of the very
in the city and the MTA’s role in connecting
major elements of the Bronx Zoo. The group’s
best of the communities they represent and
New Yorkers with their community and their
work is gorgeous and ornate, the product of an
imbue metro rides with a much deeper sense
surroundings. They are also responsible for
age when high speed transit was a privilege of
of travel.
Art Cards, the long and thin transit-themed
the upper classes. The stations they designed
Even more inspiring are some exhibits which
posters found in most subway cars. The cards
starkly contrast the less aesthetically-focused
don’t describe a section of the city, but instead
have recently been themed around the great
later additions to the system. These older sta-
whimsically and fantastically celebrate the sub-
diversity of people who use New York transit,
tions include elements like the bas-relief cor-
way system itself. Tom Otterness’ installment
and they emphasize the subway itself as a uni-
ner tiles in select stations, like the sailing ship
of bronze miniatures at the 14th street and 8th
fying element within the city.
at Columbus Circle and Alma Mater at 116th
avenue station is easy to overlook, but a keen
The arts commission works to bring many
Street, while stations like Port Authority Bus
eye will begin to spot dozens of figures scat-
diverse forms of creative expression into the
Terminal-42nd Street, built in the mid-1930s,
tered around, on the floor, climbing railings,
subways through avenues like its music pro-
have little or no artistic element in their design.
and hanging from the ceiling. The characters
gram. The vast majority of live musicians play-
As time went on, and the subways became
are charming and sweetly shaped, but the
ing in heavily frequented subway stations are
less a novelty and more a banal element of ev-
scenes they’re involved in have an uncertain
members of Arts for Transit’s Music Under
eryday life, less and less attention was paid to
dark element to them. The harmless and play-
New York (MUNY) program. Over 350 groups
the system’s appearance and upkeep. So by the
ful figures of Life Underground are meant to
and soloist musicians selected from an audition
end of the 20th century, many stations were in
make people feel seedy and uncomfortable.
process each spring perform in 30 different lo-
shambles. Since then, the Metropolitan Trans-
They focus on subway lore and include features
cations throughout the transit system. Perform-
portation Authority has been pushing a mas-
like an alligator peeking out from the sewers
ers range from opera singers to Cajun bands,
sive rehabilitation effort that created, among
to eat a man and people sneaking under fences
but are united by the excellent quality for which
many other programs, the MTA Arts for Tran-
to collect dropped change and watch construc-
they were
sit initiative.
tion.
This project has quickly taken a very visible role in the subway goer’s experience, placing them in interaction with many types of media through-
A few notable mosaics are the expansive world
selected and by their commitment to making everyone’s time in the subway station a little less unpleasant. Arts for Transit’s Poetry in Motion program features poster cards displaying selected poems scattered throughout subway cars. Although the program disappeared four years ago due to apparent lack of public interest, it was reinstated this January per rider requests. Since its return, the program has been a popular hit, currently featuring Kevin Young’s “Ragtime.” All of these initiatives seek to transform a trip on the subway into something deeper, a culturally engaging journey through the city of New York. The MTA Arts for Transit program has had a clear commitment to excellence through its nearly thirty year history. But these works are not displayed in galleries or museums – so does this make them “low art”? Are they valued less because they are viewed by the public, not just by the cultured? Because they cannot be bought? Because they are associated with the grime of the subway? Does this matter in terms of their artistic value - is the value of art been dictated by the frame it’s in? Regardless of how we define public art, it has nevertheless made simply moving through each day in New York City an enriching experience. These works still have the power to give us that overwhelming sense of possibility that being able to take miles-long journeys underground in only a few minutes no longer can. They keep alive that wonder that the New York subway system, one of the first in the world, used to have. The long and short of it is that art and trains belong together because they serve the same purpose. They both have the power to take us somewhere. Maybe it’s not always where we’re headed, but what New Yorker doesn’t want to be in two places at once? Proclaiming the program’s long awaited return, a poster with the MTA’s tagline, “improving, nonstop,” announced, “Poetry is back in Motion: Many of you thought parting was not such sweet sorrow, so we’re bringing poetry back in a very artful way. Hopefully, you’ll feel transported.”
HOW TO DO IT:
SNL -"#+8&7(
7(#+31+0
30+34
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by Nina Sabado
The Big Apple is known as more than just The City That Never Sleeps; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a vibrant place full of events happening all throughout the island every single day and night. Most Saturday mornings, for example, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to see a line of fans starting in front of the NBC building and winding down a few blocks. Ranging from the casual fan to the outright devotee, including Louis Klein who has been to over 600 tapings, they wait hours and hours for the chance to get a standby ticket for SNL.
S
aturday Night Live, more commonly known as SNL, is a tele-
the chances are of getting into SNL.
vised live sketch comedy show originally produced by NBC
The standby line, however, is not for the faint-hearted. But armed
Studios. Each new episode is hosted by a celebrity guest and
with patience, luck, and the advice from fellow fans and SNL standby
features a song performed by a guest singer or band.
line veterans, you just might be able to attain the Holy Grail: actually
Needless to say, with a variety of guest stars like Joseph GordonLevitt, Mick Jagger, Daniel Radcliffe, and Elton John, some would
sitting in the SNL audience at either the dress rehearsal or the live performance.
seriously consider donating that pesky second kidney for a chance to
First, this requires dedication. Make sure that you really want to
see their favorite celebrities. Thankfully, the distribution of the SNL
see the guest star performing that night, as this will definitely take
standby tickets ensures that we never have to make that choice.
some time. Even if you end up getting a ticket, keep in mind that the
At 7 am on the day of the show, the standby tickets are distributed
number of empty seats might be small in the first place. Sometimes,
at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. People get a number and are told to return at
fifty people might be able to get in, and other times only two. It really
the designated call time, depending on whether they choose the dress
depends on the showing. You never know whether you’ve made it or
rehearsal or the live performance. The lower the number is, the better
not until you’re actually in your seat.
1 2 3
Arrive early to get in line.
Make no mistake; there are some hardcore fans out there who have been in line since the Wednesday of that week. Unless you’re willing to be unreasonable, you’ll never beat them. But getting into line at 9 pm on Friday is vastly different from getting into line at 12. Needless to say, the earlier you are, the better.
4
Know what you want.
When the attendant arrives, you’re faced with a choice greater than whether to part with your kidney or not. Will you attend the dress rehearsal or the live performance? The live performance has all the finished edits on the sketches, but the dress rehearsal has additional skits that never make it to the final cut.
Come Prepared.
Don’t underestimate the fickle New York weather. “Bring blankets, plenty of warm clothes, and perhaps buy a lawn chair,” advises Ellie Williams, BC ‘16. But more than that, you will be bored. While you might be able to talk to (possibly awesome) neighbors in your line, bring things to keep you entertained.
Know who the guest star is.
Çakıl Güldal, BC ’16, was planning to leave at around 2 am on Saturday morning to see Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane perform on SNL. “While we were getting ready to hit the line,”Çakıl says “I went on twitter and saw that the line already had like 300 people.”
5 6
Anticipate Mutiny.
Although Fiona Rowan, BC ’16, had been in line since 10 on Friday night, she hadn’t anticipated the stampede that came when it was crunch time. “Everyone who was behind us ran and then ended up getting tickets before us, even if they had only been there since 5 am,” she says.
Bring a partner in crime.
Whether it’s to hold your place in line while you rush to the nearest Starbucks bathroom, or to alleviate your boredom, braving the SNL standby line isn’t worth it unless you have a story to tell and a friend to share the experience with.
Finding a genuinely good time can be an arduous task. Difficult, but not impossible—especially if you love to laugh. Taking on the SNL line, and knowing what exactly you’re getting into, is not only an interesting way to spend the weekend, but can also result in a memorable story to share with friends. The jealous stares you’ll get from peers will be well worth the long, long wait. Or so you should hope.
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Jaded? By Josephine McGowan
In a room overlooking the skyline of a sparkling city, a speaker readies a podium that stands before rows of empty seats. The PowerPoint, marked by bullet points of microcosmic life lessons, shines brightly on a crisp white screen. The speaker for the night is prepared, and she is in jovial anticipation for her speech as well as an engaging discussion with students. She has arrived from across the country to Barnardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diana Center to give insight and inspiration. They are scheduled to attend her session about women in the workplace. The hour nears for them to arrive, and every detail is set. After thirty minutes of waiting, it is clear: only one person shows up for the session.
This is an extreme example of Barnard and
them.
students are often left over-stimulated, and ul-
Columbia students’ surprisingly mediocre par-
The infectious atmosphere that CU ema-
timately, over-booked. With classes and club
ticipation in the events. At Barnard, the Athena
nates may, at times, substitute for other missed
activities that inevitably coincide, it is no won-
Center for Leadership Studies hosts workshops
opportunities. Hannah Boysko, BC ’13, admits
der that events are somewhat poorly attended.
throughout the beginning of the semester, and
that though she has missed some special events
Though it is generally advisable to prioritize
though almost all of the workshops are well
because she is so busy, she “can’t help but feel
work, students should be proactive in fitting
attended and praised, the previous situation
lucky to be here and privy to so much culture
these events into their schedules.
makes one wonder why it is that students can
and knowledge that you can’t help but absorb
be ambivalent about these unique opportuni-
while on campus.”
“It might be a nice idea for students to be more intentional in the way they think about
ties that are often unavailable at other colleges
special events on campus,” Dean Hollibaugh
and universities.
said. “[Students can] help one another to ac-
Barnard’s First-Year Dean, Lisa Hollibaugh, believes that students’ general reluctance to participate in these opportunities lies in the fact that that some feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of events that happen on campus and end up attending very few events, or even none. “[S]tudents feel very busy and may find it difficult to believe that they can make time for an opportunity, no matter how interesting it may sound,” Dean Hollibaugh said. “It’s exciting to hear from students who have made the effort and have been rewarded with the rich experience of hearing from extraordinary people like Valerie Jarrett, Oprah, and Elie Wiesel.” The recent talk that featured Elie Wiesel was an exception to the “jaded” mentality. Viewer demand was so wide that some were directed to a separate room to watch Wiesel speak “live” from a television screen. It is likely because the status of the speaker passes a certain critical point of prominence, which other leading people in the field do not. A business execu-
“The lofty promises of insight and connections may breeze easily by us, or they may be buried beneath piles of ancient texts and problem sets.”
tive, compared to a world leader, who has come
range their schedule.
planned into their weekly or monthly calendars.” Abigail Lewis, the Associate Director of the Athena Center, observes that a skill that should be taught to students is how to prioritize the opportunities that are offered to them. She proposes a new methodology that may help students with organizing the infinitesimal options. “I think that we could do a better job at helping students figure out which events are available,” Abigail said. “It may be useful to have a coordinated calendar, so that students know that each week there is a list of every event that is happening on-campus. It could be one place where students can look at and compare the opportunities that they may have otherwise missed.” She also stresses the importance of making an effort to become a part of the greater community; a piece of advice that is particularly salient while in New York City, where people can be lost in the busy shuffle of millions.
to Barnard to give a lecture, simply may not be prominent enough to cause students to rear-
tively look for one or two events that could be
It is difficult to determine whether or not This very same atmosphere may be what
we are jaded by the endless brigade of e-mails.
most hinders students from attending these
The lofty promises of insight and connections
Yet, the recent World Leaders Forum at Bar-
events. Melina Iacavou, BC ’15, had often con-
may breeze easily by us, or they may be buried
nard, which featured Prime Minister Yingluck
sidered how to best take advantage of them.
beneath piles of ancient texts and problem sets.
Shinawatra of Thailand, President Atifete Jah-
“The selection and frequency of such events is
Either way, as Barnard and Columbia students,
jaga of the Republic of Kosovo, and former
overwhelming,” she said. “I know that I would
we should be cognizant of the effects of count-
President of Finland Tarja Halonen had only
usually have to restructure my day and week to
less opportunity. As in the example of the ses-
about 300 students, professors, and guests
accommodate the attendance of these academ-
sion with almost no attendees, it is important
combined. Though there were many that at-
ically enriching events. The benefits that they
for students to remember that commitment to
tended, the student population was not widely
offer are immeasurable, but the problem lies
attending is crucial to organizers of any event.
represented. Events such as these serve as a re-
in the fact that this university is so demanding
The next time an e-mail comes in, take a sec-
minder of the excellence of our university, but
that many benefits are lost.”
ond look at it. It may just be the one hour that
time and commitment are wont to overshadow
Indeed, the “problem” with Columbia is that
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
bn$$*$DECEMBER$2012
changes your perspective entirely.
”?
WH
A
T ON
S ’ T
A L Y P BU T “ A
by Carly Cheton
$15.00 to $50.00.
artists are guaranteed that their work will be
The
cherished as a structured means of artistic ex-
mechanisms
Disclaimer:+The+Bulletin+does+not+own+any+of+the+images+on+this+page
contain 2 gigabytes
E
pression.
of memory, and
Musicians aren’t the only ones attracted to
maintain a unique
Playbutton. Major names like Barneys and Ar-
quality: they lack
mani have trusted the company with their own
the
to
promotions. Here, the function of the MP3 is
switch between the
capacity
tied to the form of the button, serving as an
tracks of an album
intersection between the realms of music and
or playlist.
fashion.
Although listen-
Barnard sophomore, Camille Newton, a
ers are able to fast-
Social Media and Marketing Intern for Play-
forward through a
button, recalls her first encounter with Play-
song, they are not
button. “I think it’s an interesting eye-catcher.
granted
easy
I remember when I didn’t know what a Play-
transition between
an
button was and I saw it at Barneys. I thought,
tracks. Critics find
‘What is that? That’s so strange.’”
this to be the fatal
The idea of expression sets the promotional
flaw of Playbut-
tone for many companies’ renewed ambition.
ton.
Technology
Playbuttons serve as a projection of individual-
magazine, Wired,
ity, setting a precedent for a new kind of pro-
deemed the Play-
motion. “I think, overall, every company is try-
button to be a
ing to tell a story. Music’s a really good way of
“technological step
doing that,” Newton says.
backwards” in its
To say that Playbutton’s benefits lie in its
“limitation” of only
marketing strategies would be an understate-
playing an entire
ment of the product’s universality. The users
veryone loves to show off their musi-
album. This review
hold the company’s ultimate purpose in their
cal tastes. Whether it be through a car’s
disregards the company’s motive in promoting
palms. Buttons can be purchased displaying
blaring bass, Bieber Fever t-shirts, or
such a feature. A motive deeply grounded in
fun, non-franchised designs that “go more
the cultural values of the past.
towards expressing who you are and who you
the recently popular method of Spotification, there is a powerful social current that compels
The artistic entity of the ‘album’ was once a
people to share what they like to hear, in hopes
principle that the music industry greatly em-
Playbutton’s current goals, as expressed by
that others may enjoy it as well. The up-and-
phasized. The order of songs, and the flow of
Newton, are maintaining growth and sharing
coming company Playbutton has experienced
music were manipulated at the artist or band’s
their product. These aspirations should be met
great success with this trend recently, with the
discretion, and they suspended the listener in
with nothing but success, for Playbutton pro-
help of their pocket-sized product.
might be,” according to Newton.
an atmosphere solely manipulated by the mu-
vides an avenue for the music-savvy to share
The button behind the company’s name is
sicians. In experiencing an album from begin-
what they are experiencing in a captivating
an MP3 player with a clever design and mis-
ning to end, listeners were told a musical story.
fashion, and has an honorable goal in mind.
sion. Controls on the back of the button play,
They were carried on whatever current the art-
Even while companies and musicians are get-
pause, fast-forward, and rewind the song’s.
ist or band chose.
ting in on the marketability of the buttons, the
The buttons featured in the company’s online
Now, the sacred nature of album flow is
store come in ‘closed’ and ‘open’ assortments.
threatened. Because iTunes and other mu-
‘Closed’ buttons are chosen primarily by mu-
sic programs allow the purchase of singular
After all, says Newton, “You’re not going to
sician and company promotions, and do not
tracks, music consumers fail to find any worth
wear a button if you don’t want somebody to
leave room for users to choose which tracks are
in an album as an ordered entity, which sullies
notice it.”
featured on the device. ‘Open’ buttons are more
the artistic integrity of musicians everywhere.
personalized--they display a graphic, and users
Playbutton ultimately seeks to preserve integ-
can upload their own tracks. Prices range from
rity in the light of iTunes’ dominance. Featured
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
bp$$*$DECEMBER$2012
users themselves are granted the greatest benefits of the Playbutton.
Illustration+by+Allison+Cohen
Dating Diary by Sara Miller I have been a fan of dating books ever since my mother gave me Mars and Venus on a Date. “You could use some help,” she said, handing it over during one of my breaks from school. It definitely clarified some common doubts or confusions, and it pointed out important issues to keep one from going too insane. But, these books are more useful as a guideline or cheat sheet, and are not meant to be literally interpreted. No one actually follows them word for word… or, at least, I didn’t think so … until a certain incident over the summer.
It had been a pretty dry couple of months after my boyfriend and I broke up, and, although I was living in a frat house for the summer, I wasn’t looking to get with anyone. Taking a
familiar.”
in this book called The Game.”
Oh boy, what is he getting at? “You know when animals mate they’re attracted to each others smell?”
“Oh yeah! I’ve read that book.” Another guy chimed in. “The Game?!” I exclaimed, “Are you kidding
healthy hiatus was more like it, using the alone
“Right, I’ve heard that one before.”
time to work on myself and blah blah blah. So,
“You know what else? When lions mate they
you could imagine my surprise when I got an
pull on each other’s manes.” He proceeded to
e-mail from Josh, the new guy at work who just
reach up the back of my hair line and pull gen-
He quickly found a PDF of the entire book
graduated from Northwestern.
tly. A shiver shot down my spine and I giggled
and we ctrl-F’d the section right away. It was
me?!” “Nope, it’s like a dude’s Bible to dating. Here, I’m gonna find it online.”
“He took my arm and gently kissed the inside of my elbow. Again that shiver made my legs weak. It was kind of hot, but kind of weird. He went on...” “Rebel Without a Cause is playing at Bryant Park tonight. I’ve never seen it. Wanna go?”
nervously. It was kind of hot, but kind of weird.
called The Evolution Phase-Shift Routine and
He didn’t miss a beat.
it had 6 steps that consisted of, in order, talking
Umm, YES! I was more than excited to be
“You know what else I heard? The back of
about smell, the lion’s mane, biting the sensi-
hanging out with the cute new boy. Even my
your knees and the inside of your elbows are
tive inside of the elbow, telling her to bite your
boss thought he was attractive, saying, “Wow,
really sensitive, let me show you.” He took my
neck, and step 6 - the kiss.
that’s a good looking kid. They usually hire
arm and gently kissed the inside of my elbow.
Josh had stuck strictly to the script provided
such gnomes for his job.”
Again that shiver made my legs weak. It was
by the author, Neil Strauss, and the scary thing was it almost worked.
I met him outside the building and noticed
kind of hot, but kind of weird. He went on,
the way his arm brushed against mine as we
“You know what else feels good? Bite my neck.”
walked the few blocks to the park. The con-
He tilted his head and pointed to the area.
versation was easy enough and once the movie started, we leaned back on our elbows. I won-
“I am NOT biting your neck!” I declared, remembering we were coworkers.
The next day at work I played it cool, tried not to act any different and of course avoided him at all costs. But at the end of the day we inevitably ran into each other as we left the of-
dered whether his hand was inching closer
“Come on, just bite my neck.” He smiled his
fice. On the subway uptown I turned to him
to mine, but of course, I figured we were just
wonderful smile, his eyes sparkling under a
casually and said, “Oh! I read something really
friends. Besides, he was new to the city and
street light.
interesting last night that I thought you’d like,”
probably just looking for someone to hang out with. Fast forward to the subway ride back up-
“No way!” I grabbed his arm and pulled him
I had his attention so I continued, “Have you
to the end of the block where we would part
ever heard of The Evolution Phase-Shift Rou-
ways.
tine?”
town. Imagine the sweltering train, the beads
He touched my arm ever so gently and said,
of sweat trickling down my spine and the
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” The spot he touched
growing wet circles under my armpits. I tried
was still hot when he turned the corner.
His face turned bright red and he responded, “Yeah...I’ve heard of it...” “Really interesting stuff! Neil Strauss, great
to play it cool although I was melting, and of
I ran home to the frat house and stomped
writer!” He started to whistle nervously so I
course he seemed completely devoid of sweat.
up the stairs. I burst through the door where
asked, “How many times have you used that
That’s why my insecurity was through the roof
a bunch of the guys were hanging out. “HOLY
routine?”
as we walked back up onto the street and he
SHIT!” I fell onto the couch.
said: “You smell!” “Oh, umm, do I smell bad?” “No, neither good nor bad, but you know how people’s houses have like a certain smell?” I nodded and bit my lower lip, blushing, “You smell like something, you have a smell.”
“Where have you been?” One of the guys asked.
“Have you ever been called out on it before?” “Nope.”
I described to them the unexpected events of the night that were kind of hot, but kind of weird. I was turned on and confused. “Wait a minute,” Billy from Long Island said, “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this one before...”
“What do I smell like?”
“WHAT?” I asked, turning bright red.
“I don’t know I can’t place it, but you smell
“Yeah, at least the lion’s mane part...I read it
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
“Oh, once or twice...”
br$$*$DECEMBER$2012
“I told you I live in a frat house...right?” He laughed, “Man, I just want to jump out of this train and run like 10 miles.” Suffice it to say, we became friends and were able to joke about it later, but he never pulled a stunt like that again...that I know of.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Clock
I
By Cleo Levin
nside the small world of galleries, there’s typically an equally
a fabulous brunch nearby, and then had to wait in line for an hour—
small, select group of five to ten people who wander through
but it was worth it, it was fascinating,” they can tell their spouses over
every hour, setting Chelsea’s trendy, yet sedate pace. Occasion-
dinner. Or a bleary-eyed Tisch student returning at 6 AM can brag to
ally, however, an exhibition takes New York by storm, and suddenly
his roommate, “I was in there for twelve hours; it was totally surreal.”
these quiet spaces attract hordes of people with lines wrapping around
In other words, a large part of the appeal is in the expedition itself,
blocks — sometimes the mile-long lines even need security detail.
and creating a personal narrative around the viewing of the piece.
“The Clock,” a 24-hour film and sound montage, by artist Chris-
Another facet, which is perhaps most appealing to film buffs, is the
tian Marclay, took the gallery world by storm pushing it into the less
trivia component of the piece. With the age of the auteur came a gen-
sedate, more lively category. Marclay’s piece first premiered two years
eration of film lovers whose prerogative it is to create a comprehen-
ago at the Paula Cooper Gallery, and it is set to make its public return
sive knowledge of all film: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is their
at the Museum of Modern Art from December 21st until January 21st.
dream to be given a tantalizing, two-second taste of a film—a flash of
“The Clock” is a functional piece of art; it literally acts as a time-
a face, which they then have to identify. Film buffs can sit and parse
piece, counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds of the day.
out the recognized and unrecognized bits and pieces of films that are
With shots of wristwatches, alarms, and clock towers, as well a pleth-
woven throughout the 24 hours. And even those who are less in tune
ora of characters announcing the time—clips that are mainly drawn
with the filmic world can still enjoy singling out the zany style of Ku-
from classic cinema, including: “On the Waterfront,” “A Clockwork
brick or the inimitable tone of Don Vito Corleone. The pop culture
Orange,” and “The Godfather”—every real-time minute of footage is
references and challenges may be yet another facet of the piece that
either displayed or declared in reel time on the screen.
has created a cult following of the piece.
The piece’s concept may sound slightly fractured—one long, pell-
This past July, when the piece came to Lincoln Center, The New
mell, collaged mess—which it probably would be if Marclay had
Yorker published an article wittily entitled, “Is ‘The Clock’ Worth the
conceived of “The Clock” simply as an assemblage. But, as many re-
Time?” This seems to be a loaded question. Was it worth hours of my
viewers have commented, the piece resembles a narrative film in and
contemplation? As one of perennial impatience, I didn’t think so. But
of itself, and critics have commended the artist’s use of sound in the
I was so hurried by the time that I got in, that perhaps I missed the
piece as a means of creating the narrative. Through careful selection,
piece’s purpose? What about those that enjoy the wait, the contempla-
Marclay builds suspense around pivotal periods, like noon or mid-
tion, the process? Perhaps for them it is worth a visit. If you want to
night with sound mixing; he bleeds music through various clips to
take the time, chances are, that time will be repaid.
raise emotions, and he quiets the action for dinner and children’s bedtimes. Marclay’s careful curation of the sound leads the audience to draw connections between shots that may otherwise have seemed unconnected. Yet, with conceptual pieces such as “The Clock,” a question naturally arises: is the message successfully translated to the audience? While certain viewers may find a blinking neon sign to be a powerful commentary on corporate America, others may Which inevitably points to the critical individual interpretations of the viewer.
Photograph%by%Rhea%Schmid
arts%&%entertainment
find it to be no more provocative than the McDonald’s arches.
Ultimately, however, if the abstract narrative and themes of continuity are not exactly jumping out, the piece can be still be understood through two facets. This first is the appeal of “The Clock” as an art experience. Journeying into the New York art world is an adventure, and people love to come back with a story. Two elderly retirees can make an afternoon of it, “We had
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The Scream
F
By Rachel Dunphy
our versions of Edvard Munch’s mas-
sea, and bridge. The scene is based on an ex-
is forced to come face to face with all of the
terpiece, The Scream, exist today.
perience of Munch’s, and to complement the
things he is not.
One is housed in the Munch Mu-
painting, he inscribed a poem of the incident:
No matter how much civilization, how
seum in Oslo. The Norweigian
many people and buildings we
National Gallery holds two
“I was walking along the road with two of my friends. The sun set /
surround ourselves with, we are
more. And the last, a pastel fin-
the sky became a bloody red. And I felt a touch of melancholy /
all alone in nature. We are will re-
ished in 1895, is currently on
I stood still, dead tired / over the blue-black fjord and the city hung blood
main a lie, no matter how many
display in midtown Manhattan
and tongues of fire. My friends walked on / I stayed behind
times we repeat it. And this can
at the Museum of Modern Art.
/ trembling with fright, I felt the great scream in nature.”
be so unfathomable that it be-
Drawing heavily from a cy-
comes horrific. It’s an honest, and
cle of paintings, The Frieze of
maybe even emblematic image,
Life- A Poem about Life, Love
but not a wholly redemptive
and Death, for which Munch
one.
is well known, MoMA has
Walking about the exhibit,
created a small exhibit show-
glimpses of some of the mu-
casing The Scream. Running
seum’s permanent collections,
through April 29th, the show
Impressionism, Expressionism,
focuses on themes of death,
Cubism, are visible through
fear, grief, horror, and isola-
open doorways. One of these
tion, all of which are central
glimpses is brilliantly used to
to the artist’s work. The walls
display The Scream directly
around the exhibit are appro-
across from Van Gogh’s Starry
priately painted a dark grey,
Night, so viewers must turn in
and on them hang paintings
the exact opposite direction
with names like Evening Mel-
from Munch’s depiction of na-
ancholy, Jealousy I, The Sick,
ture to experience a radically
or Two People: The Lonely
different view of it. Both art-
Ones. This is not an uplifting
ists observed a power and a life
collection, but it is a deeply
in the natural world that most
emotional and utterly en-
people miss, but while to Van
trancing one.
Gogh, nature’s power was en-
Munch did the majority of
couraging and even restorative,
The$Scream$by$Edward$Munch,$1895
his work in the late 19th and
Munch found it devastating.
early 20th centuries. Although
Munch created an image that
he lived mainly in Norway,
captures pure dread so well that
he spent a large portion of
people have returned to it for
his youth in Berlin where he
generations. It expresses beau-
became familiar with German Expressionist
The piece is full of the overwhelming sensa- tifully the absolute epitome of suffering in all
contemporaries like Vassily Kandinsky and tion of seeing oneself clearly in the world. The human life. But while this image is honest, it Alexei von Jawlensky. Like these artists, his curved lines of the main figure reflect the forms is not necessarily true. Munch stares into the work is not known for being wholly political of the landscape, water and sky, sharply con- face of nature and it eclipses him. He finds or wholly commercial. Instead, his paintings trasting the geometric shapes and straight lines
himself overwhelmed, and that terrifies him.
are entirely emotional, and none more so than of the quay he stands on, and the two dark fig- But one can be overwhelmed with joy as easily The Scream. It is a deeply troubling image of
ures in the background. This is a man who has
as with fear, so perhaps Munch’s message is a
a hairless figure crying out in horror, eclipsed come, perhaps for the first time, to the jarring cautionary one. Life doesn’t have to be the way by the intensely powerful dark lines in the sky, realization that human society is an illusion. He THE$BULLETIN$*$$
bt$$*$DECEMBER$2012
he saw it.
Oscar Bait By Adrienne Nel the film “appears to be Oscar-bait incarnate.” Just a few weeks later, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence hit the big screen in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. This adaption from the best-selling novel by Matthew Quick is predicted to make a stir as a touching comedy about love. Silver Linings Playbook gives Monty Python’s catchy tune a whole new meaning as the characters learn to always look on the bright side of life. December weather won’t be the only thing giving moviegoers chills this season. The most festive month of the year will bring a variety of flicks sure to make you warm and toasty despite the subzero temperatures. The first to look for is Michael Haneke’s Amour, a French film about a couple in their eighties. Pleasing crit-
“Silver Linings Playbook gives Monty Python’s catchy tune a whole new meaning as the characters learn to always look on the bright side of life.”
F
ics as a Cannes Film Festival gem, this flick is about the strength and bonds of love, and is guaranteed Oscar-bait. Soon to follow the release of Amour is the highly anticipated debut of Les Miserables. Directed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award-winning director, Tom Hooper, it’s filled with a star-studded cast including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Russell Crowe. This film is a timeless tribute to the strength of human spirit, and it definitely holds a spot as a prospective Oscar nominee. Wrapping up December is the motion picture version of Yann Mar-
rom Magic Mike to The Dark Knight Rises, directors have
tel’s coming-of-age novel about a boy who finds himself sharing a life-
given moviegoers something to talk about this season. The
boat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan, and a hungry Bengal
year has been filled with gems such as Beasts of the Southern
tiger. Directed by Ang Lee, Life of Pi is expected to be one of the “most
Wild and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which uncharacteristically
marvelous images seen on screen” this season, opines film critic Anne-
found a home in the summer Top 20. Considering that Wes Anderson’s
Katrin Titze. Lee’s adaptation is thought to resemble the work of the
Moonrise Kingdom grossed more than movies starring Tom Cruise or
Lumière brothers as a result of its “visually splendid features”, stated
Adam Sandler, we can expect another interesting Oscar season. The
New York Times film critic, Anupama Chopra. With its release in 3D,
fall opened up with a myriad of genius works, such as The Master and
Life of Pi has already been classified as a must-see. As 2012 comes to a close, there will be much to discuss with regards
are anxiously anticipating what the final months of 2012 will reel in.
to the upcoming Oscars. Luckily, the wait is shorter than expected. The
Lincoln, which premiered this past, provides a dramatic portrayal of
Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announced that the of-
the tumultuous Civil War era and is a rumored frontrunner for a best
ficial date for the 85th Annual Academy Awards nominations is January
picture award after its secret screening at the New York Film Festival.
10, 2013, five days earlier than expected. This gives moviegoers a longer
Not to worry, Spielberg’s Lincoln is free of any supernatural elements.
period to see the nominated films, which makes it official…this year,
The Hollywood Reporter’s award analyst, Scott Feinberg, wrote that
we have no excuse to skip out.
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
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Illustration+By+Safa+Siddiqui
another Ben Affleck flick, Argo, with much more to come. Audiences
Barre-nard
H
By Lauren Wingenroth
undreds of Barnard students par-
I think so many non-dancers and beginning
dance majors. Beginning-level technique
ticipate in dance classes each se-
dancers take dance classes at Barnard is be-
classes for non-dancers are popular, just like
mester: students who use dance as
cause of how personally invested all the teach-
any other intro-level classes for any subject.
a relaxing and fun way to fulfill their physi-
ers are in their students, regardless of their skill
Part of the uniqueness of Barnard’s program
cal education requirement, students who have
level or experience,” says Zoe Tippl, a Barnard
is that it truly treats dance like any other aca-
trained at prestigious institutions and danced
sophomore and dance minor.
demic subject.
with professional companies, and everyone in
The department gives students the opportu-
Open enrollment in any class seems not
between enjoy the variety and quality of the
nity to foster personal dialogues with profes-
only normal, but also expected at Barnard; yet,
classes Barnard’s dance department offers.
sors in various venues. Dance is one of the few
other school’s with top-notch dance programs
Still, the number of dance majors each year
disciplines where it is recommended to take
do not necessarily have open-enrollment. Un-
rarely tops 15. Barnard’s department is re-
the same class more than once, maybe even
like most dance programs, the Barnard dance
garded as one of the best in liberal arts schools
every semester. For this reason, students may
major receives a B.A. rather than a B.F.A. This
throughout the nation, and yet, no audition is
take classes with the same professors multiple
is what really makes Barnard special, since the
required to be a dance major. One could start
times, and can form strong relationships with
college is able to maintain the highest caliber
her dance training at Barnard and graduate
them.
of training within a B.A. program while also
with a degree – a timespan almost unheard of
Since the Barnard dance program is situated
in the professional dance world. The questions
within a liberal arts school and not a conser-
remain: how does Barnard pull this off and
vatory, it allows non-dancers and non-dance
The Dance Department gives the rare op-
what makes this department so special?
giving dancers access to the distinct freedom of a liberal arts education.
majors to participate in all of its class offer-
portunity for a non-dancer to be a part of an
Most notably, Barnard’s distinguished fac-
ings, and it allows dance majors flexibility
incredible program, regardless of experience
ulty attracts dancers to the department. Dance
while choosing their classes, so that students
or coordination. As a result, the beginning
professors at Barnard have reached the highest
can take into account the physical demands
ballet, modern, and african dance classes are
level of achievement in their fields: they have
of their schedule. “The Barnard dance depart-
extremely popular. For students who are in-
danced for some of the most prestigious dance
ment is special because students get to decide
terested in dance but aren’t ready to leave the
companies including New York City Ballet,
for themselves how intense their program is.
comfort of their desk for the studio, there are
Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, American Ballet
Students can simply take one or two classes, or
many other options: one may enjoy Dance in
Theater, and Boston Ballet. Some have also
can make a schedule that gives conservatory
New York City, a brief history of dance corre-
received the highly esteemed Guggenheim fel-
level rigor in a liberal arts school,” says Gina
sponding to performances in the city through-
lowships and Bessie awards, and they can be
Borden, a Barnard junior and dance major.
out the semester, or interdisciplinary classes
found performing their own work at theaters throughout New York during the semester.
The principles of a liberal arts education
like Applied Anatomy, Choreography for the American Musical, or Performing the Politi-
that dancing non-dance majors have access to
cal. Either way, the department invites those
but they are also personable and dedicated
all classes. In fact, some of the most involved
who believe themselves to have two left feet to
to the success of their students. “One reason
and most experienced dance students are not
discover that they are wrong.
Photographs*by*Triana*Kalmanoff
dictate how the dance program runs, namely
Not only are these professors distinguished,
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
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Women Aren’t Funny By Karl-Mary Akre
G
irl power exists in laughter! Just ask
mor, yelling out odd phrases and pulling car-
Sarah Silverman, Rachel Dratch,
toon-like faces. This type of humor is tired,
Tina Fey, Amy Poheler, Maya Ru-
and if Jess didn’t have a fantastic supporting
dolph, Kristen Wiig, or even the classic Lu-
cast, then New Girl would not have gotten
cille Ball from the famed show I Love Lucy.
another season.
Like all comedians, these females have a sig-
The problem is that the men in Jess’s life
nature “umph” that makes us all look twice,
are infinitely funnier than Jess and her best
raise our eyebrows, and choke on our spit. If
friend Cece. This is due to the writers who
you haven’t kept up with TV this semster and
have, so far, developed Schmidt and Nick
are wondering what shows to catch up on
as actual people instead of stereotypes, like
over break, the following comedies, which
Jess. Ironically, Jess’ roommates have a loud-
not only star women, but have also been cre-
er, more defined voice than she does. This
ated and/or written by women, might be a
season, New Girl features Jess as unemployed
good place to start.
with an actual personality emerging— flaws
As one of the most critically acclaimed
and all. The writers are trying to push its lead
television shows, 30 Rock proves that funny
toward finding her voice, which will (hope-
women on television can yield success. Since its 2006 debut, the show has won and has been nominated for countless awards. Tina Fey, former cast member and Head Writer for Saturday Night Live, created 30 Rock, and she stars as one of the show’s protagonists: Liz Lemon. Bearing resemblance to Fey, Liz is the creator and Head Writer of TGS with Tracy Jordan, a sketch comedy show on NBC. Liz, a workaholic with an addiction to unhealthy food, an aversion to glamor, and a
Disclaimer:+The+Bulletin+does+not+own+any+of+the+images+on+this+page
notable lack of luck with boyfriends, is the epitome of every unlikable stereotype about a woman in charge, but she wears this unlikability like a badge of honor. The key to the show’s success, however, lies in the ability of everyone to relate to and appreciate Fey’s ability to poke holes in the idea of the “new age” woman that Liz claims to be. Moreover, the show’s purely ridiculous situations satirize the absurdity of our times. Like 30 Rock, The Mindy Project was created by its leading actress, Mindy Kaling. The Mindy Project breaks the mold on another count as the first American series with a South Asian-American lead. Set in New York City, the show follows Mindy—a cute, talkative Ob/Gyn obsessed with romantic comedies, pop culture, and fashionable ensembles. Mindy has a more self-aware approach to
garnering laughs as she owns up to her ultra-
fully) make New Girl funnier and prove that
feminine personality.
female stereotypes aren’t needed for laughs.
Instead of slipping into a well-known ste-
If comedy is a vast land with few rules,
reotype of a vapid 30-something, à la Sex and
then television is a tiny island constrained
the City’s Samantha, Mindy is genuine in her
by regulations. Funny women are stranded
performance as a woman who is accomplished,
between these two domains along with the
but still desires a normal social life. Unafraid,
limits that are always placed on them. What
Mindy rants about celebrity crushes, such as
is safe and unsafe for these characters to ex-
Michael Fassbender, and being a strong woman
plore? Mostly, the typical women in comedy
of color. One of her most successful and honest
have to maintain a certain degree of famil-
episodes revealed the predicament of Halloween
iarity before they can be taken seriously as
costumes for women: sexy or funny? By touch-
funny. They often have to be heterosexual,
ing on common issues that modern women deal
sexually inhibited, and unlucky in love. Save
with, The Mindy Project is both a comedy and a
Mindy, most females are not women of col-
forum for female audiences to see a woman con-
or. In fact, today’s female entertainers aren’t
front similar everyday dilemmas. Undoubtedly,
nearly as representative of real women as
Mindy Kaling’s acting and writing work on The
they could be. That said, the funny women
Office as Kelly Kapoor suggests that she’ll hit her
we do have are attempting to create their own
“funny” stride as The Mindy Project progresses.
niches, so as to avoid slipping back into safe
New Girl was also created by a woman, and
stereotypes.
it stars Zooey Deschanel as its protagonist. De-
So the question remains: Are women fun-
schanel plays Jess, a young school teacher with
ny? The answer: it doesn’t matter! According
a penchant for retro haircuts and turning mo-
to these shows, audiences do find women
ments into songs. Truthfully, the only humor-
funny enough to keep tuning in every week.
ous aspect of Jess is her lack of self-awareness
And for those who don’t think women are
when everyone rolls their eyes at her outlandish
funny? Nobody cares. There’s a new age of
behavior. She embodies a well-known television
comedy dawning upon us, one trending to-
stereotype, which doesn’t favor reality. Her job
wards depicting comedic women in more
is predictable and her happy-go-lucky attitude
diverse ways. And these women are here to
comes off as childish. Jess has “quirky girl” hu-
stay.
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
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WBAR By Nina Sabado dent body. “The station is in a much better place than it was a couple years ago,” says Madeline, the other College Rock Music Director. “WBAR has really had a renaissance. We’re also working on reclaiming our status as the only hub for independent music uptown. I think that the line-ups for our concerts are definitely helping with off-campus draw, and we’re working hard to make sure they get even more awesome.”
C
This year, the biggest problems the radio ompletely student-run and located
favorite radio shows,” she says.
station faces include WBAR’s underground
in the basement of Reid Hall for
As well as boasting a greater number of neighbors, (“rats”, says Joe), and turning ap-
those who are brave enough to ex-
shows, WBAR makes music available to more plicants away after they applied for shows. “When I saw how many applicants we had, I
plore the dark recesses of the Quad’s lost un-
people than ever. Individual DJs can see how
derground, WBAR is Barnard’s free-form ra-
many people are tuning into their shows at any freaked out a little bit,” says Chuck. “I didn’t
dio station. WBAR can be found on 8.79 FM given time, and all agree that their audience want anyone to feel unwelcome in the station just because we did not have enough space
or online at their website. The station features
has expanded since last year. But the num-
a wide range of genres—from rock to punk,
ber of people listening isn’t the only way a DJ in the schedule to give him or her a show.”
world music to folk. Each features quirky
knows that they’ve reached a greater number However, she encourages students who were
names that hint at the diversity of their indi-
of people. Receiving requests from listeners, turned down to reapply next semester, as
vidual student DJs.
both university students and people around WBAR always provides more opportunities
Individual staff members of WBAR have the world, can be equally important. “When a for students DJ every semester. their favorite shows. Joe Bucciero, one of the DJ knows how someone is responding to the two College Rock Music Directors, recom-
music that he or she is playing,” shares Chuck,
Nicole-Juliet Friedman, the Community Affairs Director, envisions a positive future
mends a show near and dear to his heart. “it becomes more of a communal experience.” for her remaining four years at WBAR, “not “Well, I’ll plug my own show—Better Than Pleasure, Saturdays from 12-2 pm.” He con-
A huge part of the greater awareness stems only as a fun activity to participate in, and a from the changes that the radio station has
great station to listen to, but also as a way to
tinues by urging listeners to look at the dif- undergone. WBAR is much more popular bring the Barnard and Columbia community ferent programs’ pages and playlists to find
around campus, with more DJs, events and together.”
music and a genre that fits his or her mood. visibility in general than in years past. Unlike
“April 2013 will mark our twentieth birth-
“There’s a lot of variety in the kinds of music before, WBAR worked out the previous kinks day, and we are planning a big celebration,” that are played on WBAR. It’s also fun to turn
in the streaming, and the radio shows are now
says Chuck. “We have gotten in contact with
on the station randomly and listen for a bit—
on 24/7.
WBAR alumni and heard stories from them
you might learn something new.”
But the entire experience hasn’t entirely of different eras of WBAR’s history. WBAR
Chuck Kostelic, the Personnel Director and been smooth sailing. When Chuck started
has always been and will continue to be a space for musically minded people to meet
General Manager of WBAR, recommends
as a DJ in the first semester of her freshman
the 12-4 pm block of shows on Mondays,
year, WBAR had a significantly smaller pres- and listen to music together. Our plans for
which includes Marine Musicology, Madeline
ence. Many students were unaware that the next semester keep growing, so you will have
Steinberg’s mostly guitar-focused rock music
radio station was around because it was hid-
show, and City Slang, Golnar Nikpour’s rare
den away in the basement of Reid. However,
punk and hardcore records show. “Our sched-
WBAR hosted successful concerts in the past and for sharing their passion with the world,
As long as people have a love for music it seems like there will always be a place for
we have a programming guide in the station
their presence on campus, gaining the sup- WBAR and its students.
for any listeners that are looking for their new
port of both the administration and the stuTHE$BULLETIN$*$$
cn$$*$DECEMBER$2012
Photography*by*Jor
ule is available on the website (wbar.org) and few years and, in doing so, was able to build
to stay tuned for more details.”
Disclaimer:+The+Bulletin+does+not+own+any+of+the+images+on+this+page
The Fundamental Unity of
Culture & Discovering Eternity
D
Roerich Museum Review igital manipulation of photos, a
“photographers are desperate to get that
violation of the National Press
one, ‘perfect’ shot.”
Photographers
More recently, Pulitzer Prize finalist Allan Detrich resigned in the midst of a
Association’s
The pressure on photographers is
scandal involving nearly a hundred doc-
(NPPA) Code of Ethics, is the second
hardly new. Fourandsix, a software com-
tored photos. In one, a basketball was
manifestation of photojournalism bias
pany that has developed programs to “de-
superimposed on a shot of two players
and has particularly devastating conse-
termine image authenticity,” has chron-
jumping dramatically in the air—an al-
quences. As Ms. Covert explains, “The
icled some interesting and unexpected
teration with little detrimental effect on
public seeks drama… there is a lot of
historical examples of manipulation,
the objectivity of viewers, but mislead-
competition [among photojournalists]
some dating as far back as the Civil War.
ing nonetheless. In a more infamous case,
to produce the images that appear in the
The classic photograph of the regal Abra-
Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj cloned
media.” Often, one photograph becomes
ham Lincoln? A composite of President
smoke pillars in a photograph taken of
the defining image of a conflict, and
Lincoln’s head on John Calhoun’s body.
the aftermath of an IDF airstrike on Bei-
rut. Reuters subsequently “killed” the photo,
translating the reality he or she witnesses into
harmlessly, President Obama has reenacted his
but the implication of the photograph created
an honest testimony to the viewers.
presidential addresses to still cameras after the
a false conception of the strike that could not
The presence of a photographer, by default,
LA Times photographer Brian
creates a new situation. Have you ever smiled
Walski was fired after combining two separate
for a camera? Counted to three and jumped
Photographers, too, take part in the staging,
photographs he had captured in Basra, with
with friends on the click of the shutter? Once a
trying to capture that perfect image. Crimean
the altered photograph showing a soldier who
camera is present, reality is altered. Your smile
War photographer Roger Fenton was purport-
appeared to be pointing a gun at an Iraqi fa-
becomes a specific and calculated pose; the
ed to have moved cannonballs from a ditch
ther and infant. In reality, the British solider
jump is precisely orchestrated.
onto the road for dramatic effect. Gioacchino
be undone.
actual presentation, a tradition that has long been standard procedure.
featured in the photographs was indicating
Altobelli is famous for his photograph of a
to the surrounding civilians to take cover. LA
reenactment of Italian troops storming Porto
Times Director of Photography Colin Crawford called the action “totally unacceptable” and recognized that “he [Walski] violated our trust with our readers.” Photographs are occasionally manipulated by photo editors. TIME Magazine received backlash for enhancing a photograph of O.J. Simpson in which the lower color saturation made Mr. Simpson look darker and more menacing. The changes were made even more obvious by the unfortunate presentation of the TIME cover alongside Newsweek’s unaltered image on newsstands. In another scenario, Fox News presented digitally altered photographs of two critical New York Times reporters on television, their faces manipulated to appear
The photographer is aware of the distance between viewers and the situation and is tasked with translating the reality he or she witnesses into an honest testimony to the viewers.
more sinister.
Pia, staged a day after the actual attack. Ruben Salvadori, an Italian photojournalist, notes the constant need of the photographer to “seek drama where there is none.” Mr. Salvadori’s recent project juxtaposes the dramatically violent images we see in the media with the full context of the scene: the subjects in the photographs surrounded by tens of crouched photographers with sophisticated cameras and flashes. This second image reflects the new reality of the changed situation brought about by the presence of the photographers. The obstacles to an accurate photograph are heightened by the temptations to add drama, to reflect personal bias, to emphasize the photograph’s importance, or to choose the irrelevant, but more aesthetic picture.
Photographs running on the front page—
Significant work is being done on the pho-
which sometimes provide a viewer’s only per-
tographic and editing end to prevent the dis-
spective on the story—present particular prob-
Political actors take advantage of this, and
semination of these errors before they reach
lems. Former deputy managing editor at the
cameras are the stage on which they perform.
the audience. NPPA’s Code of Ethics lays some
Boston Globe, Michael Larkin, notes, “When an
The images in the news that we assume are
groundwork for honest photographic report-
image reflects ‘a crucial moment in a course of
precise snapshots of reality, often turn out to
ing. Many photojournalists are standing strong
events,’ editors make the decision to publish it.”
be carefully orchestrated events coordinated
in the fight to capture and relay accurate infor-
This quote was used as the tagline of an article
to send a particular message. Ms. Covert de-
mation, and editors are carefully coordinating
he published to explain his decision to run an
scribes how “subjects stage news images, ex-
with photographers to ensure these steps are
emotionally charged photograph of an infant
actly as they would be staged for a play or a
taken. On the technological front, Reuters has
accidentally killed in an Israeli airstrike. Dick
movie.” A photograph of General Nguyen
been working with Adobe and Cannon to de-
Rogers of the San Francisco Chronicle explains,
Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner was
velop software that would track changes made
“Editors focus on the immediate decisions.
captured on a public street; the execution was
to digital images.
What’s the best picture for tomorrow’s cover?”
originally supposed to take place indoors, but
The real work, however, falls on us as recipi-
It is the obsession with presenting the dramatic
was moved outside in order to be captured on
ents of the news and viewers of these images.
picture—and not necessarily the most accu-
film. Rescue workers embedded in regional
As Mr. Farid warned, “[we] don’t remember,
rate—that leads to claims of bias.
conflicts have been known to show dead bod-
‘It’s a fake’ … [we] remember the picture.” We
ies to cameras rather than evacuate them as
should question the picture, judge the picture,
Much less obvious is the fourth category: The crucial role of the photographer.
The
quickly as possible. “Miraculously surviving,”
but we should not rely on the picture. Just as
photographer is aware of the distance between
meticulously clean, children’s toys are placed
we have learned to doubt what we hear and we
viewers and the situation and is tasked with
atop the rubble of bombed buildings. More
read, let us begin to doubt what we see.
THE$BULLETIN$*$$
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Erotic Classics By Hannah Miller
“
People are more liberal and open with their sexuality, and erotic
”
mash-ups celebrate this greater acceptance of human desire.
M
ash-up novels are the latest
tardizing beloved, classic novels. However,
trend in literary culture. They
there are others who applaud erotic mash-
combine pre-existing literature,
ups, claiming that these new books unlock
usually a classic novel, with another genre to
the sexuality that is so stifled within the
create a single, fluid narrative that entwines the
originals, and they manage to convey it in a
novel’s original text with additions by another
creative and pleasurable manner. So would
author. The first well-known mash-up to hit
Emily Brontë be turning over in her grave
shelves was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a
if she knew that Heathcliff and Catherine
parody of the Austen classic in which Elizabeth
were engaging in bondage and S&M?
and Darcy fall in love while defending them-
There’s no doubt that the au-
selves against an invasion of the undead. The
thors of these classics would probably be
book generated a large amount of publicity and
a bit appalled if they knew what was hap-
even reached number three on the New York
pening to their literary masterpieces, but it
Times bestseller list.
doesn’t really matter since that situation is
With this level of success, it’s no surprise that
an impossibility. Our current day and age
other authors rushed to make their very own
is completely different than 1847, which is
mash-ups with the hopes of skyrocketing to Wuthering Nights is set to be released in Janu- the year Wuthering Heights was published, success. The most popular of these parodies ary. Both of these mash-ups, which claim to
and Heathcliff ’s brooding nature took thou-
typically introduce science fiction or horror capitalize on the intense sexual tension already
sands by storm. People are more liberal and
into the classic texts, thereby producing results present within these novels, contain elements
open with their sexuality, and erotic mash-
such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
of BDSM, graphic sex scenes, and new plot
ups celebrate this greater acceptance of hu-
and Little Women and Werewolves. Recently,
twists.
man desire. Additionally, these mash-ups
however, there’s been a change in the mash-up
Two innovations have helped generate this get people interested in the classics, maybe
trend. Rather than inserting vampires or gob-
new wave of erotic mash-ups: the publication enough to inspire them to read the original
lins into a classic novel, writers have now been of Fifty Shades of Grey and the increasing popu- texts. Today, when people are more likely adding something wildly different: steamy sex
larity of eBooks. A controversial international
to peruse Facebook than Faust, if a book is
scenes.
bestseller, Fifty Shades has introduced the term
unique enough to garner readers, it has lit-
A London-based publishing house, Total-E- “mommy porn” into our lexicon, and has taken
Photographs*by*Lise*Sarfati
Bound, has released a slew of these mash-ups, away some of the shame and secrecy associated
erary value. So if you’re interested in seeing what a
with erotic versions of Pride and Prejudice, with erotica; eBooks, on the other hand, pre- mash-up is like, or if you just want to fanNorthanger Abbey, Sherlock Holmes, and Jane serve secrecy, as they allow readers to purchase tasize about what Heathcliff looks like clad Eyre. This trend extends beyond the Pond and
and peruse erotica from the safety and ano-
in leather, pick up a copy of Jane Eyre Laid
into the United States, which has also seen
nymity of their Kindles, iPads, and computers.
Bare or Wuthering Nights. Although, you
a sensual twist placed on two classics by the Brontë sisters. Jane Eyre Laid Bare hit shelves
Like Fifty Shades, erotic mash-ups such as might have a little trouble finding them at Jane Eyre Laid Bare, have been criticized for Book Culture.
over the summer, and the highly anticipated being poorly written and tasteless, and for basTHE$BULLETIN$*$$
cq$$*$DECEMBER$2012
Bear Essentials
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Students interested in applying for scholarships to support undergraduate or graduate work are welcome to pick up a copy of the Selected Scholarships and Fellowships Guide in the Dean of Studies Office. The Guide is also available online: http://barnard.edu/dos/ academic-advising/scholarships-fellowships
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WITH F-1 VISAS: If you plan to leave the United States during the winter break, please have your I-20 signed in the Dean of Studies Office by December 17. You will not be permitted to return to the United States if you have a signature which you obtained more than six months ago.
WORKSHOP ROOM TUTORING AVAILABLE: If you need help in CHEM BC2001 (General Chemistry I), CHEM BC3231 (Organic Chemistry II), or PHYS BC2001 (Physics I: Mechanics), please use the tutoring workshop rooms that have been established for these courses. The workshop rooms will be available through December 10. GENERAL CHEMISTRY I: Wednesdays & Thursdays 7:30pm-9pm, 302 Milbank ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II: Mondays: 6pm-7:30pm, 307 Milbank; Tuesdays: 7:30pm-9pm, 307 Milbank; Wednesdays: 8:30pm10pm, 237 Milbank PHYSICS I: Tuesdays, 8:30-10pm, 237 Milbank; Wednesdays: 8:30pm-10pm, 324 Milbank
ROOMS FOR STUDY GROUPS: THE$BULLETIN$*$$
404 Barnard Hall and 405 Barnard Hall will be available for study group sessions from December 11 to 20 (8am-2am each day). Please reserve the rooms in the Dean of Studies Office.
FINAL EXAMINATIONS: Be on the look-out for a message from Dean Schneider, which will explain procedures for requesting Incompletes and deferred final examinations. Please understand that exceptions are granted only for compelling circumstances.
THE PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE WILL CLOSE FOR WINTER BREAK ...at 4pm on Friday December 21st and will reopen for administrative assistance only on Wednesday January 2nd, and for urgent care only on Monday January 14th. Please call 212-854-2091 with any questions. The Clinician On Call (866-966-7788) is available for urgent medical advice during the break whenever PCHS is closed. Barnard students may be seen in the urgent care department at Columbia Health Medical Services—for acute illness only, not for routine medication refills or routine GYN care—for a reimbursable fee of $60 (regular claim procedure) during the break when PCHS is closed (visit www.barnard.edu/primarycare for info on reimbursement). Please call 212-854-2284 for Columbia Health services hours and location.
THE DEAN OF STUDIES OFFICE and THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE ...will close at 4pm on December 21 and will reopen on January 2. 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.
cr$*$DECEMBER$2012
SPOTLIGHT role model for me. Even now when I’m racking my brain for the motivation to finish a race or a long run, I imagine going into his room to get a well-deserved high five. It was worth almost anything to impress him. I’m sure the sheer fact he’s run a few marathons inspired my decision to try for New York this year. BB: Why did you decide to run the NY Marathon? MG: It was a matter of ‘opportunity knocking.’ This was the first year Columbia Road Runners was given spots in the New York Marathon. It’s incredibly hard to get entry. How could I say no? BB: What was your most difficult moment in training? MG: Starting long runs is always hard for me. There’s something about realizing I have another however-many-miles-to-go that always makes me whiny or hesitant. Once I was out the door and across College Walk, I was usually OK. By then, I start thinking ‘every step is a step closer to finishing. Finishing is a step closer to eating. Almost there…’ BB: What has been the most rewarding aspect of training? MG: The day I did my first 18 mile race—I remember sitting on my floor and calling my mom. Neither of us could believe I had done it. The most rewarding aspect of training was setting and achieving goals; the little ones (like going to bed earlier) and the bigger ones (like making Momma proud!) BB: What are your thoughts on the race’s cancellation? Are you disappointed?
7 Questions for MIRIAM GLECKMAN-KRUT
Just after Hurricane Sandy forced the cancellation of the New York Marathon, the Barnard Bulletin (BB) chatted with Miriam Gleckman-Krut ‘14 (MG), who had been devotedly preparing to run the race for the first time. The passionate Columbia Road Runner discusses training, the importance of time-management, and the devastation left by Frankenstorm.
MG: At the end of the day, I’m proud of the City’s decision. The day Bloomberg cancelled it, I believe it was the Friday before the Marathon, was spent in incapacitating moral qualm for me. As much as I wanted to convince myself I had worked hard enough to “deserve” the cheers at the finish line, I couldn’t shake the images from the news reports. For me, it came down to two things: firstly, as my dad pointed out, I personally wouldn’t have enjoyed running through wreckage. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stand it at all. I had this image of breaking down sobbing somewhere in Queens. And secondly, if the marathon wasn’t pulling financial and human resources from the relief efforts, that meant that qualified personnel were being brought into the City to deliver water and medical aid to what might amount to a parade running through a disaster zone. It was a hard decision for the City and for the New York Road Runners. And I, by no means, lose any ounce of respect for people who were planning on running; I just personally think it was the right decision. BB: How do you time-manage your job, classwork, and extracurriculars with training? MG: I make lots of to-do lists! I once had a mentor that told me “you have time for anything you make the time for.” It sounds pretty intense, I suppose, but I think it makes sense to me. If it means something to me, I’ll find the time to make it happen. Also, exercise makes me think and sleep better. If I take more than a day off, I go a little crazy. My friends tell me I just wasn’t made to sit still for very long. BB: Will you run the marathon next year?
BB: How did you get involved in marathon running?
MG: I’m planning on it!
MG: I started running cross country in my junior year of high school. I’m pretty sure I didn’t like running very much when I first started. My coach was—and remains—a huge THE$BULLETIN$*$$
As told to SABRINA SINGER
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DECEMBER 2012
The Calendar Sunday 30
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 1
31
ONE DIRECTION AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NEW YEAR’S EVE 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
20
21
22
The Moth: Ho, Ho, Ho: Stories of the Naughty or Nice
ANDREW BIRD & SANTACON
16
17
18
19
FALL BREAK BEGINS 23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Disclaimer:+The!Bulletin+does+not+own+any+of+the+images+on+this+page.
CHRISTMAS
HIGHLIGHTS
10
5 10
ANDREW BIRD GEZELLIGHEID
RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
SANTACON
At Riverside Church, the piece focuses on instru-
It has the words “Christmas” and “Spectacular” in
Post-Halloween blues? Take your pick of a goofy
mental violin music amplified by victrola horns.
the title. What more could you want? It even runs
red suit or a sexy reindeer costume and relive the
all month long!
festivities.
THE!BULLETIN!0!
ct !0!DECEMBER!2012
THE BARNARD
Marissa Mayer Alice in Wonderland Women in Comedy The First Latina Princess Hillary Clinton The Scream & More
BULLETIN DECEMBER 2012