VOICEMAIL FROM SHANGHAI
THE VOICE
Goldman and McKinsey can wait another year
KATY’S FASHION OBSERVATIONS
11,850 copies of The Voice given out in the first 3 weeks
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Miami Vs. Harvard ISSUE 4 may 15th, 2008
the voice
SUMMER SPECIAL
A HORROR STORY: HOW NOT TO TRAVEL
Stranded in Honduras with seven NEVERMIND dollars in THE EXAMS, our pockets. HERE’S THE SUMMER!
A shocking (and helpful) account by Kayla Feld: “We were surprised to discover that my friend’s money belt, containing every crucial document, had been stolen.”
BEHIND THE SCENES:
“If you piss off Sweeney Todd, he’ll cut you into pieces and sing about it.” How the musical was made, by Morgan Mallory
INSIDE Romantic zombie movies, obscure music, brunch spots
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VOICES (B)ADVICE
Editor’s Introduction
ALEX DOUBET
Reading Extravaganza Here we are - our last issue of the semester! And we’re still going. I am proud to present to you our biggest edition ever – the spcial summer issue. Enjoy the 28 pages of pure reading extravaganza that we’veprepared for you. If you like musicals, chances are that you are curious how they are made. Morgan Mallory takes us behind the scenes of Sweeney Todd. We have been left another “voicemail here” at the Voice. This time it’s Chris Dotson from Shanghai that gave us a call. Alejandro Gac-Artigas reflects on the his experience as a Latino at Harvard – read on to find out what multiculturalism at Harvard is reall about. The real fun, however, comes from the specials we have in store. Traveling is a major topic for our summer issue check out the fantastic travel photography by Max Wong and Kayla Feld’s amazing Honduras (mis)adventure. If you intend to work this summer, Katy Miller has put explains her alternative summer job. There is much more waiting for you guys inside, so I hope you enjoy. This is our final issue before the summer. I think we’ve managed to produce 4 issues of great content, and so I’d like to use this opportunity to openly congratulate the entire Voice team, and thank you, our readers, for making all of this possible. Enjoy the summer and look out for the Voice when we all get back from break.
KATY MILLER
Raise your voice. Start a blog. Post content. Rate content. www.theharvardvoice.com
THINGS TO TAKE ON A TRIP
KAYLA FELD
MIRAN PAVIC
Some tips for the summer This summer, remember: 1. Super pale = super bad. 2. Super tan = sexy party time. 3. Sunscreen. 4. Monumental road trips. 5. Seersucker suits are exclusively for old southern men. 6. Madras fabric is uglier than sin. 7. Proper hydration. 8. Watermelons & lemonade. 9. Green grass feels great on bare feet. 10. You’ll have fun, fun, fun ‘til your daddy takes the TBird away.
Passport In a separate location: A copy of your Passport, Birth certificate, and spare passport photos Cash (in case ATMs don’t work) Money belt THE med kit given that both my parents are physicians and provided me with a surplus of any medications that could potentially be necessary, it is possible I overcompensated. True, I never needed that snake bite kit, extra set of syringes, and IV drip while I was in Africa, but there were some unanticipated things in there that I really appreciated, like isopropyl alcohol, tums, and the all-powerful cipro. SOS Card Recommended for emergency situations. See website: http://vpfweb.harvard.edu/rmas/4_insurance/Intnlsos.html Immunizations HUHS provides immunization consultation services. Recommendations for each country are also available online A Camera But don’t be THAT tourist snapping photos of everything and everyone, it’s just as annoying to people abroad as it to you when you are trying to weave through tour groups, barefoot and dressed in last night’s ‘going out’ attire, as you’re walk-of-shaming home on a Saturday morning. NOTHING you care deeply about –Don’t get too attached to anything – If my trip through Honduras is not sufficient warning, given that everything I brought was stolen during either the initial, or the second, at-gunpoint robbery, when I returned from Africa, a incorrectly pressed button and a casually-muttered ‘oops’ from the local camera person was enough to destroy every single picture and video I had taken over the course of 2 months Language book -Learn some quick phrases in the national language, people will like you better. Resources IOP International Travel Handbook (Accessible online at: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/handbook/contents. html)
VOICE SENIOR EDITOR SHARES HER SUMMER PLANS, OPTING FOR A DIFFERENT JOB
An Alternative Summer Job: Working in a Camp You’ll be working where this summer? The Hole in the What? Are you working with kids who were in gangs? Oh, oh – do you get free Newman’s Own food all summer long? ...These are some of my favorite questions I’ve had asked of me when discussing summer plans. Shortly after exams end, I’ll be joining The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp staff as an Adventure Leader and Cabin Counselor. Quick refresher: Paul Newman started the summer camp for kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in 1987 with profits from his food line, Newman’s Own. At The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp, campers can finally just be a kid, without worrying about being the sick one, or having people around who just don’t understand what they’ve been through. The Camp sits in the middle of a 300-acre forest complete with theater, gymnasium, general store, library, medical clinic, arts and crafts building, gardens, tennis and basketball courts, a softball diamond, outdoor camping sites,
swimming pool, boathouse, ga- Here, it’s easy to lose sight of bezebo, stables, nature center and nevolence and social responsibilanimal farm, and 15 log cabins. ity. It’s not hard to get caught up So why, as an under- in certain modes of thinking and graduate at an institution with to allow your perspective to shift such strong ties to investment while at Harvard. The amount banks, consulting firms and For- of money, the outrageous astune 500 companies, did I decide sociations, the high-profile conto spend my last summer teach- nections - it’s what I adore and ing kids how to rock climb and abhor about our school. The the proper way to build a paper privilege comes with a price, and airplane? Short answer: There’s I didn’t want to sacrifice my last no way I couldn’t. summer as an undergraduate to But of course, there is a something that didn’t reach out long answer counterpart to the beyond this pretty Ivory Tower. question. I would feel as though This is not to say that I were selling myself short banking and venture capiby not giving back to the tal and consulting et community, working al aren’t impressive RESUME with children who positions to score I NEEDED TO TAKE have gone through while an underA SUMMER JOB THAT mind-blowingly grad. They are. challenging experiAnd this isn’t to WOULD ENRICH MY ences. I’d feel like say that some peoSOUL AS WELL AS I was being selfish; ple who get such MY RESUME working solely for jobs are all materimyself and not makalistic and vapid and ing a conscious effort to insincere. That’s not the reach out to those in need. Realcase. It’s more nuanced than ity check: I – and most likely, you that, and I understand that, dear – already attend a prestigious reader. But frankly, I’m sick of university that offers ridiculous people trying to fit a square into advantages and connections. a circle – seeing how many peoEDITORIAL TEAM SENIOR EDITOR KATY MILLER PUBLIC LIFE EDITOR JEFF BENGEL PUBLIC LIFE EDITOR SAM ABBOTT PRIVATE LIFE EDITOR ANITA GUTIERREZ-FOLCH PRIVATE LIFE EDITOR RACHEL LIBESKIND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ALEXA WEST
PUBLISHER STEVEN R. DUQUE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIRAN PAVIC WEB DIRECTOR OGNJEN ILIC
DESIGN TEAM ART DIRECTOR JANSEN THURMER DESIGNER ALEXA IRISH DESIGNER RAFAEL QUINTANAR
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ple who frenetically pursue a job in such industries, because it’s what they feel pressured to do. Because it makes for (supposedly) impressive cocktail party conversation. Because there’s already a train from Harvard to Manhattan, regenerated with a boatload of dewy-eyed eager summer interns each year. But I realized, such is not the case for me. I’d feel selfabsorbed if I went to work plugging away in a cubicle, spending much of my time under the flourescent lights working on a few tasks and worrying whether an offer was around the bend at the end of August. I wouldn’t enjoy it, and I’m sure I’d regret not pushing beyond the default hot summer job. That’s what’s called measuring yourself by other people’s standards, and I don’t – can’t – buy into that. And so I realized that I needed to step away from the land of stress test interviews, business casual informational luncheons, and polite office conversation for awhile. I might try to interview for such a position in the future; your guess is as
BUSINESS TEAM DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS THOMAS WIONZEK DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR NICHOLAS PAPAMICHAEL DIR. OF STRATEGIC RELATIONS MAY LAN DONG DIRECTOR OF AD SALES CARMEN COLLYNS DIR. OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS CATHERINE CHUTER DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA DEREK FLANZRAICH BUSINESS CONSULTANT MAJLA CUSTO BUSINESS CONSULTANT NADIM RABAIA BUSINESS CONSULANT KAROLIS BALCIUNAS
good as mine. But what I do know is that I needed to take a summer job that would enrich my soul as well as my resume; an experience that would satiate my desire to give back to those who are less fortunate as well as surround me with people who are genuine. Let me remind you that I’m not trying to paint a black and white scenario here: I’m sure that amazing, quality people are scattered throughout every industry under the sun. It is, however, highly unlikely that an undergrad with an inflated ego would ever seek out a position whose rewards are not given in terms of business cards collected or an impressive paycheck week to week; but in smiles shared and hearts touched. The business world will chug along efficiently, with or without my participation in the summer of 2008. But the kids I’ll be living and working with, guiding and supporting? That’s an entirely different story. And it makes all the difference in the world to me.
CONTENT TEAM FEATURE WRITER ELIZABETH NICHOLAS FEATURE WRITER CHARLOTTE AUSTIN FEATURE WRITER EMILY CREGG STAFF WRITER IRENE YUAN STAFF WRITER ANNA TONG STAFF WRITER ANDY LIVINGSTON STAFF WRITER NEESHA RAO CONTRIBUTING WRITER PROF. JASON KAUFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER ADAM GOLDENBERG CONTRIBUTING WRITER MICHAEL GLADSTONE CONTRIBUTING WRITER WOLF RADIC CONTRIBUTING WRITER DOMINIC DENUNZIO CONTRIBUTING WRITER ALLISON BAUM PHOTOGRAPHER LAUREL TAINSH
VOICEMAIL FROM SHANGHAI SPENDING A YEAR ABROAD I’ve realized the differences between Shanghai and New York are at once big and small
Goldman and McKinsey can wait another year I like to think of Shanghai, China as the New York of Asia… the big dumpling, if you will. Living, studying and working here have opened my eyes to a broader view of the world; one in which the things that we take for granted, the privilege, the clean water, the…wait a second. That’s enough of all of the cliché BS that you’re supposed to spout after spending time abroad. While it’s all accurate, the truth is that Shanghai is also a lot like any other big city. In the last eight months I’ve spent living here, I’ve come to realize that the differences between here and say New York are at once big and small. I live in an apartment on Siping Lu (‘lu’ means street) about 15 minutes north of the main downtown area. I have a good view and pay what used to be $500/month, but has become closer to $550/month (thanks US economy!). I go to class, I go to work, I cook dinner with my boyfriend; I have friends to go clubbing with and friends to get Frappuccinos with (come on, of course Starbucks ex-
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“Go study or live somewhere different; do something interesting!”
BY CHRIS DOTSON
ists here!). Doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well, China does have its moments. My friends and I lovingly call them “hate China” days. Those days when you get an elbow to the face from a person trying to beat you into the bus/metro/taxi; those days when you enter an elevator and not only is there somebody smoking, but they spit on the floor (which, in a cramped elevator, means that a good amount of loogie gets on you); those days when you can’t avoid the tourist areas and you get asked whether you want to buy a watch, bag (Louis Vuitton, Prada?), or DVD 157 times. It takes time, but you eventually realize that while people are people, the culture and customs of the East are in fact very different from those in the West. This is what makes a “hate China” day, but also what has made living in Shanghai a unique growing experience. As in other cities, in Shanghai there are many, many homeless and very povertystricken people (I have trouble coming to grips with the
poor living conditions when walking through some of the back-streets). The difference for me is that it seems so much worse here. I’ve never been the activist type, but living here has changed my mind on a lot of things. Outside of the city in what I’ve seen of the rest of China there’s an abounding number of poor workers and farmers struggling to make a living to support their families. The poverty level here is something else that I will take with me and that has helped to change me a bit. It’s easy to forget about all these people while going out to nightclubs on weekends, eating at what are considered by many Chinese people to be expensive restaurants every night, or leaving China and exploring the rest of Asia. How do you reconcile those things with the poverty you see everyday? I consider everything I’ve learned here as part of my cultural education and hope to keep it in mind to shape my actions and outlook in the future. Do I miss Cambridge? Yes! Was
it worth it to take a leave of absence? Definitely! To tell you all a little secret, I miss the Harvard bubble. I miss the level on which classes operate. I miss my good friends and even those people I would see every once in a while and smile to. However, I know that my time away from the safety and familiarity of Cambridge has given me a push into the right direction. I’m infinitely closer to being ready to have a full-time job. I’m more confident of who my trusted friends are back home (email should make it easy to stay in contact, right?...). I’ve gained so much from being a part-time student instead of a paper-crazed Lamonter typing the days away on essay after essay. My advice: Go study or live somewhere different; do something INTERESTING! Goldman Sachs and McKinsey can wait another year. You’ll be surprised by what you may learn, and how it might have the potential to change everything.
REBUTTAL Voice Editor Jansen Thurmer replies to Voice Editor Morgan Mallory’s recent film review Check out our website!
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The central narrative is stale and boring While I agree with your claim that Iron Man is entertaining and worth seeing in the theater, I have to admit that the film disappointed me. The strong acting, clever dialogue, and dazzling special effects appeared to signal a refreshingly adroit comic book adaptation, akin to recent greats like Spiderman 2 and Batman Begins. It’s unfortunate, then, that despite these positive elements, the central narrative is stale and the plot has frayed holes too
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large to fill. The backstory is boring, the development makes little sense, and the climax misfires. Meanwhile, as much as I love Tony Stark, it would have been nicer to see more Iron Man. I’m also curious why you had “nothing to say” about Hellboy II in your sidebar on upcoming summer superhero movies this past week. The first installment was extremely well-crafted, with wise-cracking dialogue, dark humor, and stellar special effects. Meanwhile,
since the first Hellboy’s release, director Guillermo del Toro has gained nothing but acclaim for the lushly tragic Pan’s Labyrinth. Judging by the new trailer for Hellboy II, and the fact that del Toro is currently in production on The Hobbit, I’d say we should all be talking about this upcoming gem. BY JANSEN THURMER
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What’s your opinion on The Iron Man? www.theharvardvoice.com
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Great article! A pleasure to read. Thanks for sharing. (on Emily’s Mental Health Report)
XIN CAI
Great, honest, important article. Thank you very much for sharing this. (on Emily’s Mental Health Report)
Your comment here.
BRITTNEY R. LIND
4 NEWS&STORIES
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BEHIND THE SCENES: SWEENEY TODD SHOW
“If you piss off Sweeney, he’ll cut you into pieces, bake you into a pie - and sing about it.” Sweeney Todd was the first musical on the Loeb Mainstage in almost four years, with 600 seats packed every performance. Producer of the show (and Voice Editor) Morgan Mallory gives a peek behind the scenes on the production side of things in the mysterious world of Harvard theater. How was Sweeney made? BY MORGAN MALLORY
Sweeney Todd was the first musical on the Loeb Mainstage in almost four years. It was also massively successful by Mainstage standards. As Harvard’s largest theater space - and one that charges for tickets, unlike the Loeb Ex - the Mainstage shows often have trouble filling the seats. Not Sweeney. The theater of [600] seats were packed every performance; the final performance actually sold out. How did this happen? As one of the producers of the show, and someone who has gone through the process of putting up a show at Harvard multiple times, I thought I should share why I think Sweeney was a smash. I can’t offer any sort of objective review of how amazing the actual production was, but I can give you a peek behind the scenes on the production side of things in the mysterious world of Harvard theater, and my take on the reasons behind Sweeney’s success.
Where do Harvard shows come from?
Often when I tell people this, they ask, “So, what does a producer do, exactly?” The only way to accurately answer this question is to walk you through the basic process of producing a show at Harvard. It always starts with an idea – inspiration, vision. With Sweeney, it started with Jason Lazarcheck (’08) and Jesse Weiner (’08), hopeful stage director and musical director of Sweeney Todd. When they approached me about producing their show, they were so adorably excited, and I love the show, so of course I said yes. Next, we assembled a staff. This part is always a challenge. At Harvard, where all the theater is completely studentrun, convincing people to commit to your staff can be a daunting process, as everyone already has a billion-and-one commitments. At the bare minimum, every show that goes up at Harvard needs a stage director, producer, stage manager, technical director, set designer, lighting designer, and costume designer. Most shows have a larger staff. Sweeney’s included a music director, four
producers, a sound designer, and assistants of all sorts. We luckily assembled a large, experienced, enthusiastic staff for Sweeney. Then came the application and interview process. Each theater space at Harvard has limited slots, or dates on which student shows may go up. Jason and Jesse decided to apply for a slot on the Loeb Mainstage, Harvard’s largest and least available space (there are only three student-directed slots each year). To prove we could handle the Mainstage, we needed a killer application. Applications, which are reviewed in the selection process by the student-run HRDC (Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club) are made up of statements from each member of the staff. For Sweeney, each staff member wrote a detailed statement about why they were excited about the show, what they would contribute, and how they envisioned it all happening. Our combined statements for Sweeney were 39 pages long! Finally, we had our interview with the HRDC board. The entire staff had to wake up at the crack of dawn (our interview was at 8:00am) and haul ourselves over to the Loeb. The interview with the board is always a bit nervewracking. The board is made up of lovely people, but you never know what kinds of questions they’ll toss your way. But directors get the toughest questions,
SWEENEY TODD WAS A GOOD SHOW, AND PEOPLE WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THEATER COMMUNITY GOT EXCITED “So, what does a producer do, exactly?”
and Jason and Jesse nailed every one. Asked to sum up the show in a sentence, Jesse said: “Watch out: if you piss off Sweeney Todd, he’ll cut you into pieces and bake you into a pie—and sing about it!” Brilliant! We actually had a really fun interview; lots of laughter on both sides of the table. A few days later, we found out that our
PEOPLE WE LUCKILY ASSEMBLED A LARGE, EXPERIENCED AND ENTHUSIASTIC STAFF application had been approved! As the beginning of spring semester rolled around, it was time for Common Casting—a time of great excitement and great anxiety for all involved! For Sweeney, we luckily had a huge turnout from
Harvard, Emerson, and Boston Conservatory students. The actors all were very excited about the show going up. After an intense week of auditions, our creative team cast the show, actors signed on, and we had a cast. With a cast and staff
now firmly in place, a space and dates set, rehearsals and production planning went into full swing. For the cast, directors, and stage manager, this means lots rehearsals. For everyone else on staff, this means emails, meetings, and deadlines. Being
a producer is kind of like having an office job, without the office. And you’re not paid. And it’s way more fun, because everyone who works in your office is pretty cool. The main role of every producer is to account for everything that needs to get done, and then make sure it actually gets done. However, responsibilities are divided up among the producers. My main task was to advertise Sweeney—fill those seats! It’s quite involved than: postering, Facebook event, table tents, newspaper coverage, event listings, spamming open lists—oh my! Nonetheless, getting people to show up for postering is still the toughest part (crack of dawn!). After weeks of rehearsals and planning, it was time to
build and ‘load-in’ the set onto the Mainstage. So remember in high school, when the big musical would happen every year, there was a group of ‘techies’ who wore all black, and built the sets, and then did all the set changes during the show? At Harvard, the techies are spread out among 25 different shows. So, the process of building and loading a set onto the stage falls to the staff and the cast of the show. And it has to happen in under a week. Hardhats abounds, everything slowly fell together. Finally, it came time for Sweeney to open!
Why did Sweeney Todd have such a huge payoff?
From
Sweeney’s
suc-
cess, I’ve learned a few things about selling a show. There are five major reasons I believe Sweeney filled the seats. 1) It was good show. People got so excited. This is so key: Sweeney was a show people wanted to be involved with and that people wanted to see. And by ‘people,’ I mean those within and outside of the Harvard theater community. Everyone who knows anything about theater knows what an incredible show Sweeney Todd is: Steven Sondheim’s masterpiece! Dark comedy, horror drama, human emotion! Put up a show people are this excited about, and it will surely be successful. 2) It’s was musical, on the Mainstage. People love musicals. Obviously not everyone, but many
people who don’t like straight plays do like musicals. People who enjoy music and singing were drawn to this show (so many of Harvard’s best actors are also great singers). And it was on the Mainstage! People in the theater in community want to be involved in the Mainstage shows. It’s a big deal to be in that space, and it’s a fantastic space. It shocks me that Sweeney was the first musical to be on the Mainstage in nearly four years. It’s the best space on campus for a large-scale musical, and most musicals are the kind of large-scale fare that can only function on a large stage for the large cast, with a large pit for the large orchestra. Which brings me to my next point: 3) Tons of people were involved.
Sweeney had a very large cast, staff, crew, and orchestra. Big shows like Sweeney need lots of people involved, and the more people are involved, the more tickets you sell. Everyone involved had family and friends who flocked to theater. Shows of this scale belong on the Mainstage, because they will draw large crowds! It’s simple math. I hope Sweeney has set a precedent for BIG shows on the BIG stage, because it makes a huge difference in crowd size. 4) We had great timing. The Tim Burton film adaptation of Sweeney Todd hit theaters in December 2007, five months before our show opened. This movie made Sweeney a recognizable show beyond the theatre circle, and the advertisements that ran throughout winter break certainly helped stir up buzz for Sweeney, and at the very least cemented the show outside of the realm of obscurity. We also landed two wonderful weekends: Prefrosh weekend and Arts First weekend, when non-students, interested in the arts swarm Harvard. There is no doubt that the prefrosh and Cambridge residents bought up lots of tickets. 5) Word of mouth. This applies more to the second weekend than the first, but people really loved our production. All the elements were top notch, from set and lighting design to our uber-talented cast and orchestra, and everything in between. Great word of mouth led to a fantastic second weekend. In the end, when it comes to advertising, nothing beats a heartfelt recommendation from a friend. I’m not that surprised that we sold out on closing night. The overarching principle is that we reached beyond the Harvard theater community and sold tickets to people who don’t usually attend Harvard shows. Whether it was someone who loves Sondheim, or liked the movie, or has a friend who played flute in the pit, or heard from friends that the show was great—people who aren’t usually compelled to see a Harvard play came to see Sweeney Todd. And I hope they’re all really glad they did.
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SPECTACULAR TRAVEL Stranded in PHOTOGRAPHY Hounduras
Hello. My name is Alejandro Gac-Artigas. It’s a funny name, one that had terrorized many a substitute teacher calling roll throughout elementary school. Olijondro? Alahandro? Ali… Aluh…A.. I rescue them with an interrupting “Present,” knowing the matter would be resolved no sooner than a blind man playing pin-the-tailon-the-donkey. The uncomfortable dance around my name’s 21 letters began the very day I arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, as a customs officer scrutinized my family’s passports. Carrying only the boxes we could carry and armed with one-way tickets, I suppose we were worth a second look. I had come to a place where a name I had shared with countless faces in Puerto Rico had become an eyesore, a hassle, a menace. The flimsy front door of our rundown apartment separated this new world from the fading memory of home we preserved inside; the sounds of r’s rolling, the smells of arroz con gandules cooking, the warmth of a family from an island where family means everything. I knew that when I left this world for school every morning, “Alejandro” would not sound the same for a very long time. And I learned to deal with that. Better and better each time, learning to intercept each substitute teacher as soon as he or she paused at the sight of my name. Always waiting a hopeful but ephemeral moment, I learned to recognize the discomfort in their eyes and quickly saved them the trouble. Present. And then the strangest thing happened.
by Max Wong
SUMMER GUIDE
by Kayla Feld SPECIAL, may 15th, 2008
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What to do if you’re staying in Boston?
Self-tanning creams & summer fashion pointers National Parks you haven’t visited yet
Alejandro? Ah-le-han-drro?
HOUSE OF GODS The menu at Red House is seasonal and inspired; the wine list brief but diverse
The substitute teacher looked me directly in the eye, and pronounced my name correctly. While his accent betrayed his Anglophone identity, the fact of the matter was that every syllable he uttered challenged any pronunciation of those 9 letters suggested by the conventions of English. As quickly as he had read the previous name, he read mine. The word “present” remained caught in my throat. Like a cat ready to pounce only to find that its prey had vanished, my words sunk clumsily in this unfamiliar situation. The teacher
Reflections of a Latino: Non-racist Harvard Vida
Book recommendations for the beach Summer music festivals Traveling to India
E H T D N I NEVERM S ’ E R E H EXAMS, ! R E M M U THE S
10 SUMMER SPECIAL VISIT INDIA A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE, SAYS VOICE EDITOR SAM ABBOTT
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NOT SURE ABOUT YOUR PLANS? You don’t have a job or an internship lined up yet. Maybe you got a week or two you’re not sure what to do with. Voice writers have some ideas for you
SUMMER IDEAS: THINGS TO DO Best National Parks You’ve Never Visited*
Summer Music Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss The lineups for this summer’s festivals look great, and there are sure to be performances near you wherever you’ll be. Watch out for Kanye West, set to perform in basically every one!
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
June 12-15, Manchester, TN www.bonnaroo.com This year’s lineup features well, just about everyone, including Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, MIA, Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Folds, O.A.R., Cat Power, Willie Nelson, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Sigur Ros, Gogol Bordello... you get the idea. Four days + great music + camping + no rules (read: a lot of drugs) = amazing! Tickets are currently onsale for $244.50, but there are a variety of VIP options available at higher prices.
Summerfest
June 26-July 6, Milwaukee, WI www.summerfest.com “The Worlds Largest Music Festival” runs for 11 days, and features both locally (that being Wisconsin) and nationally recognized artists, and has been happening every year since 1968. This years lineup includes Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Stone Temple Pilots, Tim McGraw, and, if you’re a thirteen year old girl, get excited about The Jonas Brothers. Tickets for the festival are $8 for weekdays and $15 for weekends, but that does not include tickets to mainstage performances (i.e. any of the people listed above). Mainstage tickets range from $30 to $80, depending on the performer and the seat.
Essence Music Festival
July 4-6, New Orleans, LA www.essence.com/essence/emf If you like hip hop and R&B, the Essence Music Festival is for you. This year’s program featurs LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Rhianna, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Chris Brown, and a number of others, including some local Nawlins jazz ensembles. Tickets range from $56-$110.
Pitchfork Festival
July 18-20, Chicago, IL www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com This years festival, run by the internet music magazine Pitchfork, features over 40 indie and hip hop artists at very reasonable prices. The lineup includes Public Enemy, Animal Collective, Vampire Weekend, Spoon, and many more, including YardFest’s own Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Tickets are $30 for one day, $50 for two days, and $65 for all three days.
Lollapalooza
August 1-3, Chicago, IL www.lollapalooza.com
WELL, MAYBE No guarantee you’ve actually never been there. BY ALEX DOUBET
Originally created by Jane’s Addiction lead singer Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza toured the US every summer from 1991-1997, and, according to Wikipedia, “encapsulated youth culture of the 1990’s as much as Woodstock did for the 1960s.” Though it no longer tours, and probably no longer encapsulates youth culture, Lollapalooza is absolutely still worth checking out, with this years lineup including Radiohead, Wilco, Rage Against the Machine, Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, Mark Ronson, Broken Social Scene, and a ton more. Tickets are onsale now for $190; the price will jump to $205 once those sell out.
Place: Big Bend National Park Location: Texas
All Points West Festival
August 8-10, Jersey City, NJ www.apwfestival.com I’ve never heard of this before, and it’s in New Jersey, but the lineup looks great, including Radiohead, Jack Johnson, The Roots, The New Pornographers, and Girl Talk. Tickets are $89 for one day, and $258 for three days.
Virgin Mobile Festival
Visit India!
Warped Tour
-Whether you are spending a week in one city, or making rapid-fire stops all over the country, your time spent there will be unforgettable. Should you decide to make the journey halfway across the world, here are a couple of tips: -Present yourself well - many Indians have an extremely positive view of the United States and you will feel compelled to meet their expectations. -Take a lot of time searching for the best places to eat, sleep, and sightsee. For every Taj Mahal, there are a dozen little-known temples and landmarks that are infinitely more rewarding. -Above all, be friendly! Whether you are navigating through the alleys of a 500-year-old village in Varanasi, taking a cab into downtown Delhi, or eating dinner in a palace in the middle of a lake in Udaipur, you stand to learn so much from the people you meet.
August 9-10, Baltimore, MD www.virginmobilefestival.com Yet another music festival with an all-star yet somewhat eclectic lineup, this time, in Baltimore! Featuring the Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Bob Dylan, Stone Temple Pilots, Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Citizen Cope, and a lot more names that we all know. Check out the website. Tickets are $175 for both days, and $97.50 for one day. VIP tickets are also available for mo’ money.
June 20 - August 16, All over the place www.warpedtour.com Remember back in middle school when the Warped Tour featured all of your favorite bands? Well guess what, it still features some of your favorite bands from middle school, such as the All-American Rejects! This year’s lineup also includes Gym Class Heroes, Relient K, Paramore, and Jack’s Mannequin. Ticket prices differ by location, but hover around the very reasonable $30 mark.
Rock The Bells
July 19-August 30, nine locations across the continent www.guerillaunion.com/rockthebells Just go, it’s really awesome, you won’t regret it. I went last year in the pouring rain and I don’t regret it, thats how good it is. This year’s lineup looks just as good as lasts, including A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, Method Man, and once again, Ghostface and Raekwon. Tickets have yet to go onsale, but if I remember correctly cost about $80.
Book your flight now! (And watch for the mosquitoes.)
Why You’ve Never Been: Well, it’s in Texas and it is in the middle of NOWHERE. Not hyperbole nowhere, but actually, literally nowhere. Interstate highways don’t come within a hundred miles of the place, and you have to be purposeful to visit even if you live in Texas. Why You Should Go: I’ve visited the place - and you can trust me - it is absolutely, stunningly gorgeous. Not in the way that a forested grove is, but in the way that makes you want to mount a horse and ride towards the sunset, pistols blazin’. And therein is the beauty of the park. It’s isolated, rough, and full of trails to hike and spectacular vistas to take in. The Rio Grande borders the park on the south, and if you cross it, why then you’ve illegally entered Mexico! Oh, and you love bird watching, you say? Why, then, yes! This is the place for you: more than 400 species of the tweeting little critters. Go to Big Bend National Park, and bird watch until the cows come home.
Place: Glacier National Park Location: Montana
Why You’ve Never Been: It’s in Montana.
Why You Should Go: You love hiking and want to tackle some of the 700+ miles of trails. You love looking at landscapes that would make an Ansel Adams photograph jealous. You find mountains as beautiful as I do. You like wildflowers. You like grizzly bears. (Please don’t pet the grizzly bears!)
Place: Acadia National Park Location: Maine
Why You’ve Never Been: Maine is a wee bit off the beaten path for most people. And it’s also on an island. Why You Should Go: Though a relatively small park, Acadia encompasses varied terrain including mountains, seashore, woodlands, and lakes. This national park features classic northeastern vistas and seashores you won’t find anywhere else in the country. If, for whatever reason, you’re driving up towards Maine, be sure to stop by. As an added bonus, Bangor, the major metropolis of the far northeast, is a little more than 50 miles away.
Place: Dry Tortugas National Park
Location: Florida
Why You’ve Never Been There: Almost 70 miles west of Key West, you have to take a ferry just to set foot in this beautiful park. Why You Should Go: If the words “island paradise” don’t appeal to you, then this national park is not for you. However, if you’re like most people and have a proclivity toward sublime beach environments, then hit this national park up. One of the least visited national parks in the country, this place has pristine, crystal clear waters completely surrounding its perfectly white beaches. Fort Jefferson, the center of this island haven, was completed in the late 19th century, and around its walls abound some of the best snorkeling in the western hemisphere.
Place: Channel Islands National Park Location: California
Why You’ve Never Been There: Los Angeles is right next door, and the City of Angels is more appealing, as a destination, to most. Why You Should Go: The Channel Islands National Park represents a chance to leave the smog and pollution of L.A. behind. The Islands are just far enough from civilization to provide a wonderful escape into a land of water, animals, and… islands. So, next time you go to Hollywood, consider the Channel Islands.
If you’re staying in Cambridge... Boston Day Trips
Whale-Watching off Provincetown
The summer is the best time to go whale-watching, and Provincetown is renowned for having excellent views. Nothing can prepare you for the excitement at seeing the huge creatures in action. Two different companies provide high speed ferry services from Boston to Provincetown. During the summer season there are numerous daily trips that are 90 minutes in length. Another option is the The Plymouth/
Brockton Bus, which provides service from Boston Logan Airport to Provincetown. Be sure to check the weather in advance!
Visiting Plymouth Rock
Even though the actual “rock” is the size of something you would see in a garden, Plymouth is a New England must-see. (It’s actually older than Harvard, WOW!!!) With a picturesque seaside community, beautiful beaches and excellent seafood, it’s a perfect get-away. If you don’t have a car, transportation by bus is
easiest.
Ben&Jerry’s Factory Tours
Definitely worth it as this 30 minute tour includes a short movie, a full view of the factory, and millions of free ice cream samplers. The tours cost a whopping $3.00. Note: This might be an enhanced experience intoxicated.
Castle Island, South Boston
Castle Island is the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. It’s located at City Point
in South Boston, and can be reached by public transportation. It’s a nearby destination to escape the bustle of the city, and to obtain great views of Boston Harbor and Logan International Airport. There’s a cute restaurant at the base of the castle that is super popular, and don’t worry there are restrooms available on the island. It’s actually a pretty historically significant spot in Boston, but so much happened that I can’t be bothered to rattle facts off.
BY RACHEL LIBESKIND
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SUMMER LIFESTYLE ED T T O SP CE N E I C S E H T IN ER T N E C
SUMMER TREND REPORT Before we end the school year, The Voice Fashion Team wanted to leave you with some fashion tips for the summer.
Jazz Shoes
FASHION Runway Inspiration Balenciaga Spring ‘08
by Morgan Mallory
In the spirit of this summer issue, and in the well-being of all our reader’s post-reading-period pasty skin I decided to dedicate this product review to some of the best tan-boosting potions.
fresco on Christopher Street.
Colorful clutches are a great way to spice up your outfit with a pop of color. The bright color is perfect for spring and appropriate for a casual dinner or
Well all know and love Hawaiian Tropic for it’s great price…and although I would never trust them with protecting my skin in any way, in terms of amplifying a tan—these are the guys you want. Spray this on your skin every hour and you’re golden (I love puns), but remember it contains absolutely NO SPF !!!
1.
Pants by H&M. Skinny black pants are a staple that won’t go out of style for a very long time. The pair Becky wears, from H&M in London, are perfectly slim but not skin-tight.
Piz Buin Tan Intensifier
If you tan a lot and are not prone to burning this is THE single best product to use at the beach. It enhances your natural tan by 54% and still offers you SPF protection.
2.
Shoes from DSW. These gently worn jazz shoes are a novel alternative to typical ballet flats: stylishly comfortable and trendy without trying too hard.
Clarins Delicious Self-Tanning Cream
No, I didn’t make up that ridiculous name, that’s actually what it’s called. This is for those of us who weren’t blessed with sun-receptive skin. Its probably the silkiest cream out there and it makes self-tanning painless and won’t leave you looking like Lindsay Lohan (unless you’re into that?).
3.
Cardigan by Banana Republic. When the temperature is unpredictable (the bane of Boston weather), cardigans and sweaters can become a girl’s best friend. They’re effortlessly easy for layering and contrasting patterns. Becky wore her printed cardigan, from Banana Republic, because, “It looked cold this morning, so I grabbed the only sweater I had hanging up.” Very practical, and chic.
4.
Book Review
Scarf by Urban Outfitters. “I always wear a scarf, nearly everyday,” says Becky, and with good taste—bright, patterned, ethnic scarves are showing up with intense frequency on runways and streets alike. Becky’s is from Urban Outfitters—“I just bought it, and I really like it.”
by Elizabeth Nicholas
BECKY COOPER ‘10
TOP YOUTUBE PICKS
ibeskind Rachel L
Hawaiian Tropic Tan Amplifier, Bronzing Spray
Ethnic Jewelry
One of the latest trends on the runway. Sparkly silver jazz shoes are a great way to spice up any outfit, or, if they’re white, to brighten up a dull outfit with a casual but sophisticated flare. For the best (and most reasonably priced) jazz shoes, check out Repetto shoes, a ballet Floral shoe company m co y. n e tt o t Prints , $138 a that recently Tarah Smith With the arrival of warmer began a partnerweather, floral prints are perfect for giving ship with Comme des any outfit a summery feel. Try looking for a Garçons. floral dress, skirt or top. Make this print the boldest item in your outfit and balWhite-Out ance it out with a simple black sweater Makeup or other solid colors. Floral prints run Black eyeliner is too dark for the the spectrum from playful causal to sunny, summer weather. Give sophisticated. Wear it at the beach or your face a lighter, fresher look on Madison Ave! by ditching the eyeliner. If this is too drastic for you, try using a soft Fitted Blazers sherbet colored eyeliner under your Fitted blazers are the best way to lower lashes. The main idea here is dress up an otherwise casual sumthat the make-up has a white base mer outfit. Throw it over a preppy – it should be opaque and bright. linen button-down or your favorite Check out Korres Eyeliner Pencils in fitted band tee. Mix in a frilly skirt White, Green White or Purple White or that new pair of skinny jeans (my personal favorite!). and you’re ready for your dinner al
Colorful Clutches
T PRODUECW R E VbIy
for a fancier night! We recommend looking for a leather or patent leather clutch in colors like a bright yellow or tangerine orange.
Throw out your pearls, ladies. It’s time to incorporate a more cosmopolitan touch— and I don’t mean vodka, triple sec, and cranberry juice (don’t forget the lime!). I’m talking about big, bold shapes and earth tones. Stones, silver chains, big brooches. Think Africa meets India meets Native American. Let’s all hold hands across the world and get fabulous!
5.
Glitter Headband. This glittery silver accessory is her own (she’s had it since she was three years old!) and provides a sparkly addendum to her outfit. Sparkle and shine are in for daywear, and with little additions such as a headband (or a belt, or a scarf), glitter should not be restricted to evening anymore!
Korres Eyelin er, $16 at Sephor a
Morgan Mallory Lowell House 2008
1.
Charlie Bit My Finger www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM
2. Japanese Exercise Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1VY4b9IQQ&feature=related
3. Monkey Sniff
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOpxzp4PEUg&feature=related
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D.I.Y. L I COCKbyTA ller Katy Mi
tequila sunrise It’s almost summertime, so why not ring in the season with a classic warm-weather cocktail? The order of steps for making this drink creates the effect that gives the Tequila Sunrise its name - so don’t reverse the directions!
Ingredients: 2 oz gold tequila 4 oz orange juice 2 dashes grenadine
Directions: Place ice in glass so it’s half full. Add the tequila, followed by the orange juice. Put a flat handled spoon into the glass. Add the grenadine quickly, allowing it run down the back side of the spoon so it sinks to the bottom. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry!
1. Lolita by Vladamir Nabakov
English wasn’t even Nabakov’s first language, but he can make it sing like no one else. The story is of a middle aged man who falls irrevocably in love with his preteen stepdaughter, and it is unexpectedly and outrageous-
ly beautiful.
2. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Road follows a father and a son wandering around desolate America after the apocalypse. It is the fiercest meditation on life I have ever read, and no matter how staunchly you might not believe in love, God, family or meaning, you can’t help but believe for a little while by the end of this book.
3. The Pugilist at Rest by Thom Jones
The Pugalist at Rest is a collection of short stories, most of which are set in the guerilla battlefields of late 1960s Vietnam, others of which take place in a poor midwestern high school, a hospice and a Volvo driving through the hills of Verm on t. The stories are raw and honest and u n afraid, and utterly piercing to read.
16 SUMMER SPECIAL
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TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY by Max Wong WHERE TO GO My mother would never
ask, “What do you want to do?”, but “Where do you want go?”
I am lucky enough to have travelled extensively throughout my life. All credit here due to my mother, who, whenever I have more than a few days’ break at school, would never ask me, “What do you want to do?”, but “Where do you want to go?” But perhaps even more luckily, I have learned to value travel. Here is the most cliché phrase of the century: the world is so big. Not big. Incredibly huge. You think that China is huge because it takes up a lot of space on a map and has more than a billion people in it? Wait until you go to somewhere like Xinjiang, and experience that people there are not remotely Han Chinese with the
Asian faces; that they are Ui- per columnists debating about ghurs who really are turbaned whether Gaddafi will finally reMuslim Turks and who carry spond to the West. England, is daggers so sharp you can shave so incredibly small. The United with them; that you cannot find States, is so incredibly small. any food that isn’t mutton for Yet we live in it, and think it miles in a city. Then you is so big. Travelling, travelrealise that China ling, is the most humrecognises 56 such bling experience, bar diverse minornone. And it is difEXHIBITION ity groups. Then, ferent for everyone. MAX WONG’S PHOagain, you reaAs for me, having TOGRAPHERS WERE lise that China is spent so much time only one country in Europe, nothingFEATURED DURING of the 192 recogness in itself was ARTS FIRST nised by the UN, something to see. The which by the way desolation of destitute does not even include Hebbronville in South-CenTaiwan. It isn’t about diplo- tral Texas was more exciting mats shaking hands with each to me than any intricacies that other for people to see on tele- the Tower of London can ever vision. It isn’t about newspa- offer me.
Vision is only one of five senses. I would be utterly presumptuous if I claimed that I captured the “what it’s like to be in Antarctica” in a million pictures, let alone so few displayed here. But in some of my photographs, I do try and lead our minds to wonder and fill in the experience: the smell of Turkish spices, the serenity of Antarctica, the energy of Capoeira dancers in Brazil. I also hold a childish but not unwarranted sense of wonder. I wonder at small things like the beautiful detail of the flaking paint on a door with a lock chain, and imagine how every bit of the missing paint fell off. But most of the time, I take a photograph simply because I
think it makes a beautiful image. Very rarely do I pretend to capture anything “sophisticated”, like the all-time favourite “profound mixture of cultures and races”. Now, you may ask, what do you mean by beauty? I answer this as no philosopher ever should - give a tautology. An image is not beautiful because it follows the “rule of thirds”. An image is not beautiful because it has fifteen million colours in the same frame, or because it has some “profound” subject. We should stop rationalising everything - human emotion and feelings simply do not work that way. An image is beautiful because it is beautiful to you, and it is pleasing to your eye. If it isn’t pleas-
WORLD PHOTOS Max’s photographs range from abandoned whale-hunting boats in Antartica to dancers in Brazil and smiling cactuses in Mexico
18 SUMMER SPECIAL
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HOW NOT TO TRAVEL:
ing to your eye, no devout following of the “rule of thirds” is going to rescue anything. It is highly unfortunate that I chose to bring up the example of Xinjiang, since I have no pictures of Xinjiang in this exhibition, because I sadly did not manage to take good photographs while I was there. But I hope you enjoy what you see. It has been my life and blood for the last two weeks. All works in this article are by Max Wong. A booklet of the exhibition is being presently printed, and can be available by request. If you wish to buy a print, that is also possible by request. Contact e-mail: maxwong@fas.harvard.edu
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Check out more of Max Wong’s photos! www.theharvardvoice.com
NO CASH, NO CREDIT CARDS Voice writer Kayla Feld shares her horror trip to Honduras
Stranded in Honduras with seven dollars. BY KAYLA FELD
BEAUTIFUL “An image is beautiful because it is beautiful to you, and it is pleasing to your eye. If it isn’t pleasing to your eye, no devout following of the “rule of thirds” is going to rescue anything.”
Probably my most eventful trip, at least in terms of producing the best stories and having the greatest succession of unfortunate events, was the short tripgone-wrong to Honduras. I’m not actually sure how I managed to get myself into so many ridiculous situations (fortunately without major consequences, excepting minor loss of pride/dignity), especially in such a short amount of time. Though I generally structure my travel around public-health related projects, this trip was purely for fun and relaxation. I planned it with my friend during the winter months in exam period, to make up for the harsh weather and prospect of a spring break we knew would be occupied with the annual crew Florida training trip. Our original plan was to go to Belize for a typical college-bumming experience. About a week before leaving (maybe two days after buying our tickets for this wellplanned trip), we discussed hotel and travel plans with our parents, producing a full itinerary of destination spots and location descriptions, in order to alleviate any residual concerns they might have regarding our safety or com-
petence to travel. They were for the most part satisfied, making only a couple of corrections to improve the quality of our hotel choices and nixing our plans to leave the country. Dissatisfied that our plans involved too few hostels and not enough room for random adventures, we chose to disregard our parents’ advice and venture out of Belize with the intent of traveling to Honduras to visit the friends I had made while staying there the previous year working in a hospital.
“It’s hard to pinpoint the worst part of the trip.”
Our choice mode of transportation out of the country was what I can only describe as an immigrant fisherman’s ship, boarded after traveling about an hour on a rickety school bus that we flagged down while standing in the torrential downpour on the side of the road at
5:00 am, hoping we hadn’t been mislead by the random townies who had suggested this procedure the previous night. For brevity I will omit a description of the unstable, water-logged, and overcrowded boat, because one should always expect interesting experiences when utilizing public transportation in foreign, particularly lessdeveloped, countries. It shall suffice to say that we did, against many odds, arrive in Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Approximately 15 minutes after getting off the boat and attempting to regain our bearings, we were surprised to discover that my friend’s money belt, containing every crucial document one does not want to lose, (credit cards, cash, passport, photocopies of passports…) had been stolen out of her bag. Now this put us in an interesting situation. At this point, we were stranded in Honduras, with the seven American dollars (in one-dollar bills) that I had in my money belt, a couple of canceled credit cards (I had forgotten to advise the bank of my travel plans, so they were naturally suspicious of the country-hopping), some iodine tablets, a cookies n’ cream power bar, and a tin of “I Love Seattle” mints from the airport. It is difficult to pinpoint the absolute lowest point of the trip. There are several that I can highlight though, including:
Non Tourist My parents raised me to appreciate traveling and new experiences, but made sure to instill in me a healthy distaste for crowded vacation spots. Having maintained that perspective, my choice of destination spots should come as no surprise. Since my junior year in high school, I’ve spent my summers chasing the coolest new cultural experience, engaging in some sort of public health work in Paraguay, Honduras, Guatemala, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi. While I definitely do not consider myself an expert on travel, I’ve had sufficient experience that I feel comfortable passing on a few words of advice for those planning on traveling abroad, particularly in developing countries, this summer.
our stay in a prostitute’s hotel (we weren’t let into Jose’s room until he vacated at 9, leaving behind a pile of, er, ‘protection’); ‘borrowing’(euphemism for begging) money from a tourist family for bus fare; filing a police report in an incredibly sketchy office above a jail regarding our being held up at gunpoint; being held up at gunpoint; getting into an argument with the immigration officer about letting us sneak back to Belize through Guatemala; or, finally, our steadily deteriorating appearance, involving dirty clothes, muddy sneakers, and almost-dreadlocked hair braided into many little braids by a crazy lady we met in Belize (despite all this, we did not fail to receive catcalls and jeers from every male we walked past). By the end of this trip, the two of us were longing for the stereotypical American teenagergone-wild vacation, promising to buy ourselves “proud to be American” T-shirts upon returning (if we ever procured a passport) to the Great U.S.A., and never leaving the country again.*Needless to say, I never met up with my Honduran friends from the Hospital..
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Have you had any horror travel stories? www.theharvardvoice.com
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“I think to the calling of HUPD at the sight of black student groups hosting an event on the Quad lawn, and wonder how welcome racial manifestations are when there are no schedules, no tickets, and no audience?” looked at me, knowing well by the color of my skin that I was the only kid in the room who could claim ownership to that name. I raised my hand to signal the words that could not escape my perplexed lips, and without hesitation the substitute teacher moved on to the next name. Brian Matthews. This moment that had once disoriented my tongue beyond its capacity for speech was repeated. At first only occasionally, with only the youngest and most precocious of substitutes. But over the years with more and more frequency, I watched as teachers learned to negotiate my name, their eyes adjusting almost seamlessly from the American syllables that had preceded mine. By 10th grade I had developed an expectation that my name be recognized, feeling a sense of surprise and a hint of pity when someone fumbled over the syllables. Of course no one quite pronounced my name as I would, but people lost their fear to try, their discomfort in the face of it, and began to exercise the same sort of confidence in saying an Anglicized variation of “Alejandro” as they would accord any other name. Something in the country, something I did not yet understand, had been changing. Feeling as if some measure of justice had been achieved for my name and, abstractly, for my heritage, I no longer insisted so adamantly that everyone address me by my proper name. Friends began to refer to me as “Oli,” a nickname spelled phonetically to avoid conflation with the woman’s name of “Ali” and the rugged drink of “Ale.” As if through some sort of rite of passage, I would meet people as
nity. When September came, my beaming father and tearful mother moved me into my freshman dorm and I sewed myself into the ethnic quilt that was my housing assignment: a South Asian, an Irishman, a half-Chinese kid, and myself, all token representatives of our races, all Weld 51. As we walked together to the frenzy that is the freshmen activities fair, we were scrutinized by the countless organizations lusting after membership boosts. We passed the political organizations, then the arts groups, then the sports clubs, and after a blur of goody bag warfare and indiscriminate email subscribing, we reached the final section of the fair: Cultural groups. Here the tenuous threads of our rooming patchwork were ripped apart. Judging by skin color, speech patterns, general demeanor, and any number of indicators, ethnic and cultural Harvard groups began to woo us as they identified us. The SAA carted off one of my roommates, my Irish roommate was swallowed by a mass of greenclad stepdancers, my half-Chinese roommate was deemed ‘close enough’ to receive the AAA’s attention, and I, myself, was received with blaring trumpets and rhythmic maracas. When asked my name, I immediately knew which version to give. Alejandro, my name is Alejandro. They repeat it, just as I said it. Just as I had said it. Alejandro. Before leaving I am handed a book, by far the largest of the documents that had been shoved at me that day. It isn’t until I reach my bed that I finally drop the mess I’ve col-
from an entity I was even less familiar with, the broader undergraduate experience. It became clear to me from this very early moment that my experience at Harvard, like every other dimension of life I had encountered thus far, would be determined by my race. This was my first taste of multiculturalism at Harvard, in a way welcoming, and yet oddly disconcerting. My reflections are interrupted as my roommate calls me to dinner. Yo, Oli.
“It was not his intention to be a performer.”
I make my way through freshman year of my Vida at Harvard as do most other ethnically identified students. I succumb to the incessant emails and facebook messages, and attend the odd Fuerza barbeque or Raza Salsa Jam. I affirm my race over and again, I even join the Latino Men’s Collective and simultaneously affirm my race and sex, as self-identification seems to be the trend. Like most other freshmen, I bought tickets to Cultural Rhythms and countless other ethnic performances and exotic manifestations. I clapped when I was supposed to and genuinely enjoyed the often colorful and vibrant displays of cultural expression.
“I should find comfort in the fact that Harvard is a non-racist, multiculturalist place. And yet I wonder, what does non-racism really amount to?”
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an Alejandro, and only through a period of their usage of that name would they enter into the ranks of those who I didn’t mind, and sometimes didn’t even notice, abbreviating my name. As I was introduced to others as Oli, I would confidently extend my hand, looking them in the eye and expecting their understanding: Hi… Alejandro. Graduating from high school and coming to Harvard, I was a combination of many things all at once, more than I could explain or even understand myself. I was Alejandro and I was Oli. I spoke only Spanish with my parents and only English with my sister. I was Hispanic, but I lived in an overwhelmingly white commu-
lected and eye the book atop the heap: “La Vida at Harvard: The Unofficial Latino Guide to Harvard University.” I repeat those words to myself over a few times. No matter how many times I turned the phrase over, attempting to access the feeling of welcome it seemed to offer, it never felt quite comfortable. La Vida at Harvard, life at Harvard. Questions raced across my mind. How different would my Latino life at Harvard be than that of any other undergrad? Did I have any choice in the matter of living a Latino life at Harvard? How often would this distinction be invoked or made relevant? I felt simultaneously included in a group I was not familiar with, and excluded
And yet the feeling of unease persisted. Is this what it means to be a minority at Harvard? Will this be the outlet for my cultural identity needs for the next four years? I began to think, what is really at stake? Who does all this really serve? My inner tension percolates within, demanding close and introspective reflection. I don’t doubt that everyone benefits from these ethnic groups and their periodic cultural displays; it reminds us all of a diverse student body and encourages people to think outside of their own cultural milieus. But while I may feel validated as a Latino dancing salsa in Lowell Lec-
ture Hall Saturday night at 8, how should I feel sitting there Monday morning at 10, when the lights are on and the clapping has long subsided? I am enthralled when my Hispanic organization hosts a Friday afternoon panel discussion with a Latino author, politician, activist, or performer, but where is my Hispanic professor come Monday? I think to the students and institutions that insist that they are colorblind, that the race problem that has haunted my past, our collective past is all but gone. They point to the ever-growing number of cultural groups at Harvard or even to Obama’s candidacy, and tell me, tell us all that the animal of racism has breathed its last breaths. We are all taught to become nonracist, learning simultaneously how to pronounce names like mine, and to avoid racially charged words… best to avoid talk of race altogether. If absolutely necessary to voice an opinion on a racial matter, we learn it’s socially best to qualify it by affirming neutrality or referencing a wealth of ethnic friends. I think to all the times I’ve heard people begin phrases with “I’m not racist but…” or end them with “… some of my best friends are enter minority group here .” In my own lifetime I’ve seen radical changes in racial language and cultural understanding, from the way people say my name to the boxes I check off on official forms. Again I ask, what is really at stake? I am at once grateful to all the groups and their members that affirm their identities and practices, and disconcerted about what really changes. I think to the calling of HUPD at the sight of black student groups hosting an event on the Quad lawn, and wonder how welcome racial manifestations are when there are no schedules, no tickets, and no audience. I should find comfort in the fact, or assumption rather, that Harvard is a nonracist, multiculturalist place. And yet I wonder, what does nonracism really amount to? Where do we gain by avoiding the language of race? We certainly avoid a lot of difficult situations. We avoid confrontation and discomfort, self-criticism and introspection. Harvard can boast its plethora of organizations and we can all enjoy our vibrant entertainment during those times and spaces that have been designated as appropriate. As a Latino undergraduate I have been offered many venues to affirm my identity, and as a member of the larger population I have learned the colorblind, nonracist vocabulary appropriate for discussing these issues. But where must I go to be antiracist? Where do I go to denounce racism itself, to fight the structures that cre-
ate and shape the very idea of race? Where can I join others who share this conviction, and how do I convince my peers that ignoring my race does nothing to change its relevance in society? I am proud to and enthusiastic about affirming my identity as a Latino, it has enriched my experience in so many ways. But I cannot help but ask who is shaping these identities. Who decides when that identity is and isn’t relevant? Who tells me what words to use and which to avoid, and who really benefits? As we forge on in our multicultural, nonracist Harvard vidas, I urge all of you to ask these questions that have followed me throughout my three years here. Ask what identity at Harvard really means and why. I pause to entertain a fleeting thought. Where more appropriate to look than a Harvard ID itself? I reach for my wallet and pull out the weathered piece of plastic. It shows few things to establish my identity. My name, all 21 letters. My face, unabashed about its origins. And there in the corner it reads: “VALID THRU: 06/30/09.” I wonder how my plastic identity will be shaped until then. I wonder what will become of it July 1st. I wonder what words will be appropriate to describe me then, and hope I still have the conscience to ask where they came from and what they truly mean. Just imagine how different things might be should more people care to ask. Just imagine.
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What do you think about this? www.theharvardvoice.com
22 LIFESTYLE
23 The first clue that something was amiss appeared shortly after I deplaned. A twenty-something sauntered by me on her way to a taxi, decked out in a skin tight denim one-piece that ended approximately two inches below her - how do I say - crotch. She was absolutely fascinating, a wonderfully tacky hybrid between the fashions of Bai Ling and Pamela Anderson. Cellulite was not a deterrent for this young woman, apparently, since her thighs seemed to do a celebratory dance of their own as she swayed to and fro. ¡Bienvenido a Miami!, indeed. Now let me get something straight. This is not to
BLING I BECAME USED TO FASHION AS IT WAS AT HARVARD... MIAMI BLING FELT STRANGE
imagine 4 people out of every 10 you see wearing that. Priceless! Platform espadrilles, wedge shoes, gold and silver in nauseating amounts and neon fishnets as beach coverups are all the rage for the female set in South Beach. Jeans with ridiculously embroidered pockets, as well as skintight polyester shirts, are favored by men and women alike. I’d like to know who told these women that it’s okay to wear a Juicy Couture one-piece with three inch heels, as well as the person who distributes gold lamè swimming attire for men. I’m sad to report that colored camouflage adorned
bling on it than my grandmother’s entire costume jewelry collection. And swaggering around with the intellect of a five year old will not make the panties drop, no matter what you think. It was down in South Beach that it became clear just how much things have changed while I’ve spent time at Harvard. My entire frame of reference has shifted over the past few years, as is inevitably true for any student immersed in a different culture for years at a time. In Miami, there was a constant comparison with things “back home” – that is, back at Harvard. I couldn’t help but wonder what our com-
FOOD BLOG BY MORGAN MALLORY
Breakfast & Brunch Spots When you’re sick of hangover chicken and need a new spin on eggs, check out the numerous and tasty breakfast and brunch options around Cambridge.
Zoe’s (every day) 1105 Massachusetts Ave Ah Zoe’s, the favorite brunch spot in Harvard Square. It’s no wonder Zoe’s is packed every Saturday and Sunday at brunch time: the breakfast-and-Greek diner offers classic breakfast food in large portions and affordable prices all day. Anytime you have a craving for eggs and home fries, head to Zoe’s; it’s the only place near campus that serves breakfast all day, every day. My favorites include the sweet potato pancakes (with cinnamon butter!) and the Tuscan omelet. For one of the best deals in the square get the My Three Sons and split it with a friend: it’s three eggs any style, three pieces of bacon, three sausage links, three pancakes or slices of French toast, and home fries! Perhaps the best part is the ambiance. No matter where you’re from, Zoe’s feels like that neighborhood brunch place (or diner) that your family loves back home. It’s always bustling and thrumming with energy, with both locals and students abounds. Zoe’s has well-earned it’s ‘favorite’ status.
CAMBRIDGE VS. MIAMI Voice Editor Katy Miller shares her observations on Miami, FL
Glitzy pseudoglamour and blatant disregard for style. The candyland of peoplewatching.
AND KATY MILLER
I’ll admit it. I’ve always been a fan of cleavage. No, not in the Jenna Jameson-silicon-implants-to-thechin look; but done tastefully, cleavage is sexy, classy and so distinctly feminine. Who is going to disagree with me? That’s right, no one. (Note: this may stem from a lifelong lack of the aforementioned assets. Since I can remember, I’ve known that I was not destined to peruse in the DD section without surgical intervention. Victoria’s Secret even helpfully only sells my size with padding sewn into it. Thanks, Victoria, for the hint. I have no secret.) This year, my admiration for cleavage and people watching came together oh-so beautifully over spring break. I headed to Miami Beach in search of some sunshine, caipirinhas, and an absence of intellectual stimulation. Before I go any further, dear reader, let me make something clear. I was born and raised in Rhode Island, lived in Manhattan for a year, and have since been happily repping the 02138. I summer every year in Maine and have spent a decent amount of time in San Francisco. As such, I respond well to expensive jeans, crisp white t-shirts, button downs, leather flip flops and cashmere. As I boarded the plane for Miami, I gathered my thoughts and tried to picture what lay ahead. I was positive that I was in for some serious intimidation – surely South Beach would be full of hard bodied hotties with mile-long legs, enough Cavalli to make my head spin, and perfectly put together men and women. Was I ever wrong.
COULD HARVARD LIVE WITH BOUNDLESS CLEAVAGE AND IN-YOUR-FACE SEXINESS? say that women and men of any shape or size don’t have the right to dress as they choose. I don’t think that gaunt women are the epitome of beauty, nor do I think that people should conform to the standards projected in fashion publications and broadcasted in Hollywood. This does mean, though, that I have the right to comment on clothing that is obviously four sizes too small. As for cleavage, well, I certainly saw my fair share and more – much, much more – than I expected. It’s everywhere down there. Every kind you could possibly dream of: huge, small, droopy, perky, even leathery and sun spotted (I’ll stick to my SPF 50, thankyouverymuch). The one consistency in this arena is that nearly every woman displayed her goods at all times of the day. Some women went so far as to push their assets up and out so fiercely that it looked painful. Bulging breasts that look dangerously close to bursting is the antithesis of alluring. Apparently, along with snow, Miami has banned modesty and sophistication. In its place, the city has fully embraced exposed skin. Lots of it. More than once, I spotted women prancing about in high heels and a bikini. Reread that sentence – a bikini and high heels. On the street. Um, excuse me, but in what world is that acceptable? Living in Cambridge, I’m not used to laughing out loud when I see people on the street. Such was not the case in Miami. After a few days in South Beach, and after finally resisting the urge to have a permanent smirk on my face, I managed to observe a few trends that seem to have Miami wrapped around their little fingers. Miamians love Ed Hardy, along with any and every Ed Hardy knockoff they can find. Please, do me a favor, and Google his clothing if he doesn’t sound familiar. Now
many a back of people strutting down Ocean Avenue. As for me, I felt like I may as well have been wearing a nun’s habit in my floral sundresses and Havaianas. However, I decided that all of the gaudy getups of Miami is absolutely fantastic once you embrace the gaudy glitzy pseudo-glamour and blatant disregard for style. It’s the candyland of people watching. Please don’t get me wrong. Miami is a gorgeous city with delicious food, impressive architecture, some of the best mixed drinks I’ve ever tasted, and a fascinating culture with se-
“Miami is a gorgeous city with delicious food and great drinks.”
rious Cuban influence. The city also has more than its fair share of beautiful people. I’m talking girls with gorgeous sun-kissed skin, sheets of shiny waistlength hair and confidence that would knock you on your ass. So Miami is definitely a place to go, boys, if you’re looking for some serious eye candy. But girls, I’ve got some bad news: I estimate, according to my very scientific methods, that the ratio of beautiful women versus beautiful men in Miami is approximately 100 to 1. The men all seem to think that it’s cute to actively display hair product. No, sir, it’s not okay that I can see the comb lines frozen in spray on your head. It’s not hot that your belt buckle has more
munity would do if the glitz and flash of Miami came out to play here in Cambridge. It’s obvious that the climate here, with its bouts of snow/sleet/rain at a moment’s notice, isn’t conducive to such minimal dressing, but with the suspension of reality for a moment, consider it: could Harvard ever handle the - albeit raunchy - sexiness and in-yourface, skin-baring confidence of Miami? As a hallowed institution for intellectual growth and progress, could Harvard possibly coexist peacefully with boundless cleavage and an endless supply of tacky fashion? Or do we, as students, unconsciously conform to a more toned down, conservative appearance in order to take ourselves more seriously? Needless to say, it was a relief to board the plane back to Cambridge, land of collegiate casual and awkward bow ties. The fashions here, the strange quirks of the undergraduate approach to getting dressed each day, even the ridiculous fads that occasionally overtake our campus, is all part of the culture of Harvard. It’s what I’m surrounded by nine months out of the year, and, as I realized down in Miami, what I’m comfortable around. Walking through the streets of Cambridge, I’m blissfully unaware of how other people dress. Here I can get lost in my own thoughts without being distracted constantly by other people’s outfits. It took traveling to a radically different city, with fashion rules all its own, to realize how much Harvard’s appearance – and, by extension, Harvard in itself – has become a part of me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go work, drafting a city-wide mandatory turtleneck day for Miami.
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What do you think about Miami? www.theharvardvoice.com
Bombay Club/Tanjore/Tamarind Bay/Café of India (Sat and/or Sun) Various locations I don’t mean to imply that all these Indian restaurants serve the same brunch buffet but… okay, I do mean to imply that. They’re damn similar. The quality varies in proportion to the price—i.e. not very much ($8 to $12)—and what you’re getting more than a brunch is a deal. The fare is all your Indian favorites, from chicken tiki masala to samosas. Don’t expect special breakfast dishes: the brunch seems to be exactly what you would find on the dinner menu, but cheaper, bottomless, and ready right away!
Henrietta’s Table (Sat; Sun buffet) One Bennett St While know for it’s off-the-charts Sunday buffet brunch (at $60 a head), I’d like to direct your attention to Henrietta’s Table’s much more affordable Saturday brunch menu—although it’s still on the pricey side. The atmosphere is both classy and cozy, and the food is outstanding. The breakfast options on this brunch menu are far outnumbered by the lunch options, so go when you’re more in the mood for carrot and parsnip soup or lobster ravioli.
Upstairs on the Square (Sun) 91 Winthrop St Quaint and eclectic, Upstairs on the Square is a wonderful place for a date or for your parents to take you out for dinner. But what about their brunch? Well, ask your favorite Krokodilo. Harvard’s all-male a cappella group sings at Upstairs every Sunday in exchange for free brunch. (Yeah, be jealous.) Go when you’ve got a sweet-tooth, a big appetite, and some cash to burn, because the brunch menu includes the FULL selection of Upstairs’ to-die-for desserts, like butterscotch pudding.
S&S (Sat and Sun) 1334 Cambridge Street (Inman Square) Probably my favorite brunch spot of all, but it happens to be a 15 minute walk away (or a 5 minute bus ride; take the 69). It’s definitely worth it! This Jewish deli-slash-bakery has been around since 1919, and it’s made itself a breakfast institution in Cambridge. On weekends, it is packed with locals, but it’s well worth the wait. Although slightly pricier than Zoe’s or Z-Square, S&S well worth the cost as well. Breakfast options range from classic to quirky, but nothing feels uninspired and everything is delicious. S&S embraces its Jewish-ness, and bagels come with everything, and you can order matzo ball soup for breakfast if you wish. My favorite dish is a spin in Eggs Benedict, with eggs served on potato pancakes with crabmeat and asparagus!
24 PARTNERS
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REVIEWS
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TIME FLIES. IF YOU HAVE...
2 MINUTES
DRINK A MUG OF GREEN TEA Green tea! With its high concentration of antioxidants, potential benefits include boosted immunity, heightened alertness, and anti-cancer properties. Who knows, maybe it’ll cancel out the unhealthy stuff you’ve been ingesting during finals!
6 MINUTES
RAISE YOUR VOICE! Register on theharvardvoice.com. You can post and rate content, as well as interact with various member of the Harvard community. (Hey, a little self promotion never hurt anybody, right?!)
30 MINUTES
CLEAN OUT YOUR ROOM Clean out your room and collect items for reuse. Harvard Recycling has boxes set up throughout the houses, and they’ll take anything from books to furniture. Don’t throw out your old stuff, donate it!
SHORT CUTS THE WOLF
New York’s leading film addict
The best romantic zombie movies DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE Michele Soavi The walking dead for the guys, and Rupert Everett for the girls. The perfect date film. Trust me, it works.
HOUSE OF GODS The menu at Red House is seasonal and inspired; the wine list brief but diverse
Red House is the right house BY ELIZABETH W. NICHOLAS The Red House is a cozy, quiet Jack-of-all-trades restaurant. Appropriate for a drop-in dinner, a first date, a tenth date, a break up date, a make up date, a birthday dinner, a racous group dinner, a quiet dinner with parents, a lunch on the patio in the summer or by the fireside in the winter, Red House is never really not recommended. Oozing with historic charm, the house was built in 1802, and sits atop a stone retaining way that dates back to 1634. Initially a private residence, the house was more recently used as office space by Harvard University, before the
current owner, Paul Overgaag, bought it in 2003. Overgaag chose to use the original rooms of the cottage as private dining rooms at the front of the restaurant, while building a contemporary addition to the back of the 55-seat main dining room. The private dining rooms are one of Red House’s most defining features. When asked what her favorite aspect of the Red House is, junior Margot Edelman said that along with the “classic food,” she loved the “great smaller rooms to have dinner parties with friends.” The Front Room seats twelve, and is festooned with old maps and photographs of Harvard Square and Old Cambridge. The Delft Room sits on top of the Front Room, and seems to be in anoth-
er world from the rest of the restaurant. Adorned with ceramic ware from Delft Holland, a large wooden table seats ten to twelve, and a roaring fire can accompany dinner in the fall and winter. To the back of the restaurant is the smaller Music Room, which has antique brass and string instruments on the wall and seats more intimate parties of six. And if you’re lucky in the spring and summer, you might even snag a space on the small and charming front deck. The menu at Red House is seasonal and inspired. The mushroom phyllo and lobster risotto are eternal favorites on the spring menu, and when winter rolls around, the butternut squash soup is not to be missed. The wine list is brief but diverse,
and the staff is always more than happy to help diners match their drinks with their dinner. For more formal parties of fourteen or more, non prix-fix set menus are available, and the extremely personable and knowledgable chefs work with hosts and hostesses to create set menus to match the tenor of their events. And for those of you still looking for a place to hold a commencement dinner, Red House is offering a $50 prix-fix four course commencement dinner, because as it is for most occasions, Red House is sublimely appropriate place to celebrate graduation.
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Do you like the Red House? www.theharvardvoice.com
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 Brian Yuzna The sequel to the sequel of the spoof remake. Blood, guts and love beyond the grave. What more should one expect from a film, except for maybe a little nudity? No worries, I guarantee this film has it all.
ZOMBIE HONEYMOON David Gebroe The vows go: …in sickness and in health… till death do you part… Well, true love sometimes extends beyond the grave. Apart from being a sweet little film, it also goes to show that your relationship may not suck that bad.
SHAUN OF THE DEAD Edgar Wright The best zombie romantic comedy ever made. A spoof of the zombie genre, but works so well. Funny, violent and bloody. The message: Hey, no matter how big of a loser you are now, come apocalypse time you might actually do something with your life.
HONESTY Without the burden of critical opinion, obscure music is honest and interesting
Rejection of the music critic BY RYAN MEEHAN Music: it can be a polarizing, even alienating topic of discussion. More than literature, television, film or other visual art, music is the most accessible cultural medium in the world—in the time it takes to read Anna Karenina, I can listen to Pet Sounds two hundred times
over—and its inherent readiness to be consumed in such quantity and variety breeds the potential for as many opinions as there are listeners. It’s been said before, but the Internet contributes exponentially to the awareness of various sounds and genres, and with the exception of those great “lost” records, virtually anything recorded commercially in the
last half century can be dug up, dusted off and consumed with relative ease. For young appreciators, the Internet provides endless avenues of sound exploration; a cursory glance at a Google search can give way to virtual cities of sound, preserved on the edge of extinction and treasured by a precious few—all of it totally interesting, all of it totally obscure. While often inaccurately lumped in with the “hipster” label, obscurists listen to, appreciate, analyze, and re-listen to music with an earnestness and devotion that eschews the ironic distance hipsters have become so infamous for. By no means a niche unto itself, obscurist taste can range from blues to avantjazz to krautrock, from noise to hip-hop to indie, from pop to world music to classic rock. The breadth and depth of the listening experience can precipitate, for many obscurists, a cryptographic language of icons and buzzwords that many misconstrue as the pretension of elitism. The exclusivity of the obscurists comes more from a shared, altogether unique experience, than from a desire for isolation. To find the epicenter of obscurist music appreciation at Harvard, one need look no further than Pennypacker Hall, where the student-operated radio station WHRB broadcasts blues, jazz, classical, hip-hop, rock and various other types of music 24 hours a day. From 10 PM to 5 AM, it’s Record Hospital’s turn. Record Hospital, known to its DJs as simply “RH,” is a cabal of obscure music devotees, whose extraordinary tastes run the gamut from the most eviscerating experimental noise music to the most primal hardcore punk rock. It’s not uncommon to tune in to 93.5 at 3:30 greeted by the sound of something like an airliner sliding across a tarmac—it’s
music, alright, and it can be off- Even Robert Christgau, once the putting at first, but enough time lightning-witted Dean of Ameriat the station, and with the staff, can Rock Critics, has grown and the idea of listening to some- soft in his old age, heaping the thing like that regularly doesn’t kind of praise on Neon Bible seem so bizarre. The level of ap- that Daydream Nation didn’t preciation, of understanding, not even get (and, if we’re honest only of music history but of the with ourselves, no album really standards that history sets for deserves). Obscurists confront the present, inspires the kind of the inherent problems of music devotion that these students feel criticism by simply circumventfor music that ordinary listen- ing them entirely; by gaining ers find essentially unlistenable. exposure to music without the For them, the kind of music that burden of critical (or popular) many people love (even much of opinion, their tastes are honthe music they individually still est, and often pretty interesting. clutch at sympathy for—clash of As blogs and online tastes is nothing unusual at forums slowly begin to RH) has become boring; eclipse the more anDEATH song structures are tiquated models overly conventional, like Pitchfork and IF IT HASN’T BEEN arrangements are Stereogum, the SAID BEFORE, I’LL SAY uninteresting, tenobscurist appreIT NOW: PITCHFORK IS sion feels manuciator will gain factured, emotion more and more DEAD has been commodcontrol over the itized. Music becomes perception of music brilliant for what it on the Internet. The doesn’t do; for not yielding end of this transition is all its secrets to one listen, for permanent evaluative flux for all not delivering so immediately, music, canonical or not. Popularor in the way that’s expected. ity, context, critical acclaim, and One quality that seems even discussion itself on some to correlate to obscurist appre- level will become irrelevant, and ciation is the rejection of the music will be spread, consumed music critic as a reliable taste- and judged solely on its aesmaker. An erroneous associa- thetic qualities. The marginalia tion with the hipster subculture and the charlatans won’t survive is that of a prescription to Pitch- for long, mostly because there fork, but if it hasn’t been said won’t be room for them, but before, I’ll say it now: Pitchfork more because such things won’t is dead. There may have been a exist anymore; in the absence time when the tastes of Pitch- of true regional scenes or movefork critics coincided with that ments to harness, great music of obscurists, but if that’s true, it will be more singular, because was in Pitchfork’s nascent stag- it will have no other choice. es, and it lasted no more than When that time comes, we’ll an instant. Today, Pitchfork has have the obscurists to thank. become a trend machine, shamelessly hawking the latest marginal (and more importantly, low-impact) indie pop in the What’s your favorite form of an arbitrary, totally usetype of music? www.theharvardvoice.com less 100-point rating system and breathlessly hyperbolic reviews.
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got ideas? got time? get involved. now. Around the world. On the phone. At your computer. E-mailing, Skyping and instant messaging have made worldwide communication and virtual collaboration a feasible, plan B for organizations spread across the globe. If you like what you see and want to contribute, don’t wait until next year. Start now. E-mail us at contact@theharvardvoice.com, and check out www.theharvardvoice.com for more info.
STAY TUNED for what’s coming. we’ve only just begun. TRAVEL BLOGS Us Outside Our Bubble. Read up on the adventures, stories, musings, and reflections of Voice writers and readers as we step outside our on-campus bubbles and travel around the world.
REVAMPED WEBSITE Getting Better All the Time. Thanks to all of you who gave us feedback throughout the year on both the website and print editions. This summer we’re going back to the drawing board with fresh eyes and light hearts, and revamping our website. Expect changes in features, design, layout, and domain name by fall 2008. So, basically, expect a new Voice website!