Aspire spring 2017

COLLEGE MAGAZINE

HOW FAR WILL THE 2017 METS GO?

Photo courtesy of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

PLAYING THE DATING GAME

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BENEFITS OF BEING AN RA THE FUTURE OF GAMING MAY BE HERE

A SUPERHERO WITH A SPANISH ACCENT

Building your future at Queens College.

Sociology Professor Andrew Beveridge, a nationally renowned demographer, analyzes maps with students as Professor Dana Weinberg (second from left), Chair of the Sociology Department, looks on.

Academically rigorous. Amazingly affordable. Truly global.

• More than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs • An accessible, award-winning faculty dedicated to scholarship and research • Over 100 clubs and organizations, including NCAA Division II athletics • Ranked consistently for giving students the “Best Bang for the Buck” by Washington Monthly

To learn more about Queens College, including visiting our campus, go to qc.cuny.edu/futurestudents

DREAMING OF CARNEGIE HALL Nisan Ak

Queens College Master of Music Performance in Orchestral Conducting, 2016

HER STORY Born in Turkey, Nisan Ak came to Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music for a conducting workshop in 2014 and stayed for a master’s degree. “I want to combine traditional and modern music in a way that the audience, the players and I, as the conductor, will love it.”

GOAL To be a role model for women conductors in this maledominated field.

cuny.edu/welcome

CUNY★AMERICANDREAMMACHINE

CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK-1847 HUNTER COLLEGE-1870 BROOKLYN COLLEGE-1930 QUEENS COLLEGE-1937 NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-1946 COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND-1956 BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1957 QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1959 CUNY GRADUATE CENTER-1961 BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1963 KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1963 JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE-1964 YORK COLLEGE-1966 BARUCH COLLEGE-1968 LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1968 LEHMAN COLLEGE-1968 HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1970 MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE-1970 CUNY SCHOOL OF LAW-1983 MACAULAY HONORS COLLEGE AT CUNY-2001 CUNY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES-2003 CUNY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM-2006 GUTTMAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE-2011 CUNY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH POLICY-2016 CUNY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-FALL 2016

table of content QNS.COM

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36 Celebrity Style

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From the Publisher

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The Dating Game

10 La Borinquena Makes Her Debut 13 Best Places to Study for Finals 14 Tips for Starting Your Own Business 21 Should You Become an RA? 22 Real Life Lessons from College Grads 30 An Interview with the Author of Seinfeldia is a Walk Down TV’s Memory Lane 38 Aspiring Astrology

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16 Will the Switch Reinvigorate Nintendo?

The 2017 Mets - Do They Have What It Takes?

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MORE COLLEGE! LESS MONEY!

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publisher from the

JOSHUA SCHNEPS | Publisher | Aspire

A break from tradition Ah, spring break!

Bad beach movies aside – and who among us hasn’t seen at least one of them – the time off from class just as the weather is hopefully beginning to warm up is a cherished tradition among college students.

Depending on your preference, it can be a week to catch some rays and act silly in Cancun or Palm Beach, or a week to finish all those term papers that have been piling up, preferably with a little R & R to sweeten the effort.

Or – and hear me out, here – it can be a chance for you to get involved in democracy at the real grass roots level.

If anything, the tumultuous 2016 presidential election has brought into the forefront the fact that your vote has consequences, and that not voting is, very simply, not an option.

Whatever side of the partisan divide you fall on, it’s more important than ever to be engaged, in order to influence the future of your country, your state, your city.

Even though this is an off-year on the federal and state levels, in New York City there will be critically important municipal elections that will impact the direction the city takes over the following four years.

PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Joshua Schneps jschneps@aspiredaily.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Helen Klein hklein@aspiredaily.com SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Keith Fiocca EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Jaime DeJesus Jack Mandel Meaghan McGoldrick Anna Spivak ASPIRE COLLEGE MAGAZINE 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 (718) 224-5863 Fax (718) 224-5441 www.qns.com

ENTIRE CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2015 BY ASPIRE PUBLICATIONS LLC No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior written permission of ASPIRE COLLEGE MAGAZINE. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. ASPIRE PUBLICATIONS assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold ASPIRE COLEGE MAGAZINE and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.

The mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough presidents and district attorneys will all be running for re-election, providing an important political arena for public engagement, but that’s not all.

Because of term limits, many seats on the City Council will be coming open, meaning that there is the potential for vigorous, exciting and potentially direction-changing candidacies.

Read up on the contenders. If you see someone who impresses you, find out how you can get involved in his or her campaign. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any successful effort, whether it’s going door-todoor or making phone calls on behalf of the candidate.

Or, if you don’t find a candidate you can get behind, find a cause, whether it’s the environment, health care, immigration issues or gay rights.

You can make a difference – a way bigger one than you possibly could on a beach in Cancun.

Joshua Schneps // jschneps@aspiredaily.com

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Aspire wants you to be part of our magazine! If you have a comment about an already published article, let us know! If you have an idea for a story (whether you’d like to write it or not), tell us! What would you like to see more of? Less of? Have a short story, poem, photograph or piece of artwork you would like us to showcase in the publication or online? Contact us right away! We’re open to all kinds of suggestions that would help make Aspire the best college magazine out there! Email us at: hklein@aspiredaily.com

THE DATING GAME: The ins and outs to dating on-campus

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK The dating game is hard to begin with. Throw in being in school full-time, a couple textbooks, some student loans and a few roommates, and you’ve got one heck of a maze to navigate. But, that crazy little thing called love is always worth it, right? Here’s some tips to help you find your way.

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IF YOU’RE SINGLE If you’re ready to mingle — As a college roommate of mine once said (over and over and over again), “these are the times of our lives!”

There is no better place to be single and ready to mingle than on a college campus. From your classmates, to your neighbors down the hall, there are plenty of fish in the school’s sea, and plenty of freedom to, put it bluntly, do you.

Don’t be afraid to ask that cute classmate if he or she has an extra pen, or attend something on campus you wouldn’t normally just to scope the scene. Whether you’re flying solo or riding with a pack of wingmen or women, there is plenty of opportunity for dating on-campus. And, if you’re not finding that special someone at a school function or on the quad, don’t be afraid to check out one of the many dozens of dating apps and websites out there.

If you want to settle down — This one is tricky, but not impossible.

Not all college-goers are looking to simply “have a good time,” as the world says. Some are looking to find it all in college, including the person of his or her dreams. The right one could very well be out there for you; just be sure to keep your mind (and one eye) open on your quest.

If you’re doing your own thing — Live your life. Do you. And have a damn good time doing it.

IF YOU’RE TAKEN If your beau is nearby — Dating on a college campus can be exhilarating. Before you know it, you have may have someone who actually enjoys walking you to class, sharing food on the quad, and maybe even scheduling classes together.

A few pro tips when dating someone you go to school with: Make sure you make time for yourself. When you date somebody you go to school with/may have classes with/could very well live down the hall from, it can be hard to still live separate lives sometimes. The quality of your time spent together is what matters, not the quantity. And, in the same breath…

Don’t forget to make time for your friends. Both of you. It could cause unwanted tension down the line.

Venture outside of campus. Not everything has to be, or should be lunch at the dining hall or a Saturday night frat party. Spice it up every once in a while. You won’t regret it.

IF YOU’RE IN A LONGDISTANCE RELATIONSHIP

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Another tricky, but not impossible task. Love knows no boundaries, and no miles, if it’s real.

Make sure to make time for the other person (as difficult as that can be when balancing schoolwork, friends and even keeping in touch with friends and family back home). That’s crucial, and needs to be double-sided.

Plan trips and visits and keep countdowns handy. Let your significant other in on the little things but, like in all good and healthy relationships, don’t be afraid to give a little space as well.

What’s meant to be, will always be.

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New York has found its female Puerto Rican hero thanks to Edgardo MirandaRodriguez

uerto Rico and New York finally have the hero they’ve been waiting for.

Forty-six-year-old artist and Williamsburg resident Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez broke into the comic book industry this year as a writer, and many comic enthusiasts and Latinos alike are thrilled that he did.

Miranda-Rodriguez, who has been a well-established art director running his own design studio for the last 16 years, just released the first issue of La Borinqueña. The comic features a superhero named Marisol Rios La Luz, a Columbia University student who lives in Brooklyn and whose powers originate in the history and mysticism found on Puerto Rico.

“My families are mixed,” MirandaRodriguez explained when creating the comic.

“I wasn’t trying to fulfill a diversity quota. I wanted to reflect what my family looked like and in doing so, the strongest thing about my storytelling is familiarity.”

Miranda-Rodriguez, who wrote, lettered and art-directed the issue, got his start and inspiration for the character with comics at Marvel, where he created an original character, Abuela Estela, in a short story in Guardians of Infinity No. 3.

“Given the initial response that I received from my debut with Marvel and the character, I realized at that point that there was a demand for something much more powerful, with a stronger presence for the Puerto Rican and Latino community,” said MirandaRodriguez, who selffunded La Borinqueña. “Not just a background character, but one that would have her own title, series and story. I was inspired to create that.”

It was a risk that the seasoned artist took, but the passion project paid off. “I pulled all my resources together,” he said. “I’m 46 years old so I’m not a young person. I’m an art director running my own design studio for the last 16 years. I just broke into the comic book industry this year as a writer. A couple of years before that, I went into the publishing world with DMC from Run DMC. “But what I brought to it is my skill set as an entrepreneur so I approached this project like I do many projects for my clients,” he went on, “be they from Columbia University or Atlantic Records. That’s how I handled this SPRING 2017

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BY JAIME DEJESUS

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project and, given the manner that I approached it, I didn’t feel the level of adversity that many artists or writers of color feel after years of frustration. I come from a background as a teacher and also an activist so I figured out a formula that would work and it did.”

After he completed the short story, MirandaRodriguez started to receive a lot of attention. “I was at [Manhattan comic book shop] Forbidden Planet with my wife and she was a taking a picture of me holding the comic in my hand because I was having my geek moment,” he said. “Then, it was on a Puerto Rican magazine and newspapers and sites.”

La Borinqueña receives superhuman strength and the power of nature after taking a trip to Puerto Rico, finding five similar sized crystals, and encountering Atabex — the Taíno mother goddess — who summons her sons Yúcahu, spirt of the seas and mountains and Juracan, spirit of the hurricanes.

It was important for Miranda-Rodriguez to create an origin story that speaks to the Latino community. “I created an origin that was rooted in Taíno history so it was rooted in our very own mythology,” he said. “The story we worked on is something I’m very proud of, something that reflects my family experience and the experience of many Puerto Ricans, and I think that’s why it’s resonating so well with young people.”

Miranda-Rodriguez said he was inspired to write the comic for several reasons. One of them involved the recent happenings on the island.

“Given what was happening in Puerto Rico from the current debt crisis, environmental issues affecting the island, most recently everything happening in Penuelas with the dumping of toxic ashes to Zika and even the massacre that occurred in the nightclub in Orlando, I saw an opportunity to create a character that would resonate on a broader scale,” he said.

He also wanted to give a louder voice to a culture.

“All the characters that we see in the movies and comic books are corporate brands and I thought there was a need to create a character that was actually bigger than that and actually represented a nation that is underrepresented,” he said. “I was frustrated with the fact that for so long, people of color, especially Latinos, were invisible. I’m tired of us as Latinos acclimating to the mainstream culture. My good friend [actor] John Leguizamo said it best -- all we do as Latinos is constantly explain ourselves and anglicize ourselves.”

So far, attention and sales for the first issue and merchandise have been impressive. “I’ve been overwhelmed,” Miranda-Rodriguez said. “In social media, women are overwhelmingly coming out SPRING 2017

in full force to support this project. Oftentimes, they’re saying this is the first time I’m going to buy a comic book. Many are even saying that they look just like me. They’re not invisible anymore.

It something to you psychologically from your childhood to adulthood if you’re told visually that you don’t matter or exist, and that’s why I felt the need to create her.”

He’s also figured out a way to do more than release a comic digitally and on comic stands.

“I’ve developed a different way of promoting this project,” he said, “whether college speaking, the mayor of New York City presenting me with a proclamation for my work on a comic book, being invited by my alma mater Colgate University as a keynote speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month, or being a headliner at Puerto Rican Comic Con.” Miranda-Rodriguez was touched by the reception he’s received in Puerto Rico. “The most mind-blowing thing for me with my project is being received with open arms in Puerto Rico,” he explained. “I was there just a few weeks ago and that blew me away to have that warm reception from young people who came out to meet me, buy my book, and tell me how much they love it.”

To purchase the first issue of La Borinqueña, or to shop its merchandise, visit visit www. laborinquena.somosarte.com.

Photos courtesy of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Best places to study for finals hether you’ve been stressing about a final because you missed that last review session, or keeping your cool since you know you did that extra credit, everyone needs some last minute peace and coffee when it comes to reviewing for finals.

Take a deep breath, do some quick stretches to get your bod into work mode, and check out some of these A+ spots for studying near you:

YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARY

While it may seem silly to opt for your local library versus your campus library, the switch might do you a world of studying good. When you walk into a campus library during finals week, the air is tense, people are cramming, and running into your friends might pose a distraction.

At your local library, the only thing running is the Gingerbread Man via the children’s book section. The overall environment is a bit more serene and can provide just the right atmosphere for optimal studying.

A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP

Although you may be a regular at your local Starbucks (and the baristas may finally know how to spell your name correctly), you might want to trade in studying at the popular chain for a more quaint location.

While the music selection is often relaxing, with the morning/mid-afternoon rush at any Starbucks, they might as well be blasting death metal if you are trying to study.

Your local coffee shop probably offers up a similar variety of beverages to that of Starbucks and, most likely, will have way more available outlets for your laptop since everyone else is probably vying to snag one at Starbucks.

ANY LOCAL CAFÉ/ SANDWICH SHOP

Keeping your tummy full is just as important as getting the right amount of sleep during finals week. Kill two birds with one stone at any local café by ordering up a protein-filled salad or sandwich before diving right into that textbook at the table.

THE GYM

While this may seem somewhat counterproductive, studying at the gym might become your new favorite way to gear up for finals once you try it. More likely than not, it will be quiet since everyone else decided to heaveho to the library.

Make a compact study sheet and take it with you for a light walk on the treadmill. Making the study sheet in the first place will help you review, and staying active, even for a little bit during finals week, can really help improve your mood.

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BY ANNA SPIVAK

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Thinking of starting a new business venture?

BY PROFESSOR JACK MANDEL, MBA

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t’s been said a small business is nothing more than work and money... too much of one and too little of the other. Do you think you have what it takes? Your key to long-term business success is the ability to find the right niche in the marketplace. Keep in mind the following considerations: 1. I S THERE A NEED FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE? The first rule of thumb in marketing is to “find a need and fill it.” Offer a product or service not because you want to, but because your potential customers tell you they need it.

2. A RE THERE ENOUGH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A PROFITABLE ONE? Before you spend time and money to get your business started, be certain that a target market exists. You must justify the location of your business. Even an internet presence does not guarantee success!

3. H AVE YOU MONITORED YOUR ENVIRONMENT TO YOUR COMPLETE SATISFACTION? Take the time required to carefully investigate the community you propose to serve. Look at the growth potential of the area. Are people moving in or out?

Are there many “empty-nest” families or young married couples who shop in the local stores? Make careful, firsthand observations. What about your competitors? If you’re going to offer a product or service not yet available in the community, ask yourself why others haven’t already located there. Is there a drawback you may have overlooked?

4. C AN YOU IDENTIFY MEDIA PATTERNS OF YOUR TARGET MARKET? Determine where and how your potential customers get their information.

What is the social media choice? What local radio stations do they listen to?

What newspapers do they read on a regular basis? Know the answers to these questions!

5. H AVE YOU DESIGNED A MARKET STRATEGY WHICH WILL SET YOURSELF APART FROM OTHERS? This important marketing term is called positioning. Positioning lets you capitalize on your strengths to attract customers. You decide what image to project in relation to what your customers want and/or expect of you. Promotional efforts become more clearly defined when you use a positioning approach. Examples of popular positioning techniques include geography (Dairy Barn stores), price (Payless), convenience (7-11 Stores) and service (Amazon).

6. C AN YOU SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES WHEN COMMUNICATING TO YOUR TARGET MARKET? Communication, whether it’s written, oral or via the internet, must have people understand exactly what you mean.

Communicate your ideas in ways to make customers respond to your messages.

What good is spending $200 for a newspaper advertisement announcing your opening sale if no one takes the time to read it? And remember to ask for email contacts, they can provide you with an easy way to communicate with your loyal customers.

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Professor Jack Mandel has been teaching at Nassau Community College since 1978. This will be his 39th year teaching at the institution. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award granted by the New York State Association of Two-Year Colleges.

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BY JAIME DEJESUS SPRING 2017

REASONS FOR EXCITEMENT Playing big titles on the go — Sure, there are

n e t n i for N

intendo ruled the gaming industry after the video game crash of 1983 when it brought families the Nintendo Entertainment System, which became the hottest item for years. It received competition in the early ‘90s from several companies, most notably Sega. However Nintendo, home of Mario and Luigi, knew how to stay on top.

Once Sony entered the video game market in the mid-‘90s, things changed. Nintendo played second, and sometimes, third fiddle in the crowded and popular market. The release of the popular Wii brought the company back to form and on top. Add to that its constant suc-

N

cess with handheld devices, and it was clear that Nintendo had learned to survive in a fickle and ever-changing industry.

However, since 2012, the Nintendo brand has taken a bit of a nosedive. Wii U, the successor to the revolutionary Wii, sold poorly despite releasing some of Nintendo’s best titles.

There are many reasons why the system didn’t resonate with its audience, which will be discussed here.

Now, it’s a new day for the company, and it’s in need of a hit console. Enter the Nintendo Switch. There’s plenty of reason for optimism as the company has gone back to relying on innovative ways to play as opposed to being the most powerful machine. Here are some reasons for excitement and fear for fans of the house the Mario built and its future.

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Crunch tidmoe

handheld systems out there that are either powerful pieces of hardware or offer immersive experiences. Although Sony was the closest with the Playstation Vita, the lack of games left owners disappointed.

Nintendo is promising a hybrid that will allow you to bring games that take up to 50 hours to beat with you and play on the go. You are no longer limited to your couch to beat the next epic game. And though it has been attempted before, this seems like the first earnest effort. Trains, planes, walking your dog. Nothing is off limits.

First party games — With the exception of the Wii, Nintendo hasn’t been the king of the gaming world in terms of sales. There are many factors at play here, one of them being a slow flow of game releases.

Since Nintendo hasn’t had great support from third-party developers, it’s had to rely on its own developers for content. The bad news is it takes time to put out titles, but the good news is that the quality of those titles is mostly tremendous.

Whether a reinvention utilizing classic characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda or a brand new game like Splatoon, a fun shooter that kids could play too, these games are always worth the wait.

This is what has kept the company going through the dark days. Diehards will always want the latest iteration of these great games and (for now) Nintendo is the only place to get them, outside of a couple of smartphone games. As long as it churns out these hits, along with new ones, the company will always stand a fighting chance.

Innovation — This isn’t the first time a system has been created to provide a combination of a portable and a home console gaming experience, but Nintendo is certainly the first of the major three companies (Microsoft and Sony) to make its main hardware capable of doing both.

Want to play your favorite game on your giant HDTV? Just place the screen on the system’s dock and boom. It’s both seamless and satisfying. Have a long commute ahead of you? Remove the screen, place a Joy-con on each side of the tablet and it’s a dedicated portable machine that allows you to play deep, engrossing games on the go.

Gone are the days when the two experiences were separate. So Zelda can be played on a long plane or train ride or even if you just don’t want to crawl out of bed. Wii U sort of tried to accomplish this feat but you couldn’t veer off too far with the tablet from your television. So the idea was half baked.

Inclusiveness — What made the Wii so innovative and such a cultural phenomenon was that it simplified the gaming experience while producing something new and redefining the definition of gamer. The console provided motion controls, which were simple to market and use.

Wii was used at senior living facilities for Wii Bowling. It was at the hardcore gamer’s home for Mario, and the young gamer’s for Wii Sports. It hit every demographic and was simple to comprehend. Parents finally volunteered to play video games with their children. It took around a year before stores could keep the units on their shelves. It was a remarkable moment in gaming.

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REASONS FOR CONCERN Third party publishers — As stated above,

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Nintendo can compete with any company when it comes to its own games. However, it can’t churn out great titles fast enough, and there are a lot of desirable titles that are released on several platforms, such as PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. SPRING 2017

Photos courtesy of Nintendo

Over time, the buzz died down and people found that motion controls may be more of a gimmick than the future of gaming. The jury is still out on that, but Nintendo still seems to value all audiences.

It’s a bit dizzying and overwhelming in the ways you can play, but motion controls have been reintroduced in the form of joy-cons.

Games like 1-2 Switch encourage multi-playing in the same room with motion controls, giving the Switch the potential to be the life of the party for any age.

Early excitement thanks to marketing — The messaging around Wii U was messy. Parents had questions. Is it a sequel to the Wii? Is it an addon? No one really understood the need or benefit from having a tablet controller. Maybe Nintendo didn’t either because although it was a fun idea to watch television while playing a game, very few games utilized the tablet for enhancing the game. Commercials and press conferences seemed to add to the confusion.

This time, Nintendo has a direct message that’s easy to understand and (hopefully) equally as easy to sell. It’s a two in one. Take it out and play it. Dock it and play it at home. The secrecy around the system added to its mystique. Many speculated about the design but it wasn’t until a commercial was released on Youtube in November that the name was revealed and the system functionality made official.

Nintendo also aired a pretty effective ad during the Super Bowl, showing the world that it’s serious about getting the word out there. Speaking to your fans without creating fatigue is key.

Nintendo achieved the proper balance here.

If you can have only one system, many won’t pick Nintendo if the game of the month isn’t being released on it. This starts with trust. Nintendo needs to reach out to developers, make it easier for them to put out their products on its system, and give them a reason to put extra resources into making the game stand out in gameplay if it can’t match the competition with graphics.

It’s tricky, and there’s no telling after years of a lack of a solid relationship with game developers that it can get back that trust.

It’s likely these companies are taking a waitand-see approach whereby, if the Switch sells, they’ll give it a chance and develop for it. But for the Switch to sell well, it needs those games early. Nintendo has vague announcements of certain publishers that are on board, but no word on which games. This needs to change.

Price — $300 for a portable device that also acts as a console for the television doesn’t seem unreasonable. That’s usually the price for new gaming hardware. But here’s the problem: Nintendo is releasing the Switch early due to the commercial failure of the Wii U, so it’s coming into the market at a time when Sony and even Microsoft are well established, with great sales.

They’re a couple of years older, but are likely still more powerful

tendo needs to restore faith in its fanbase and create new ones.

Online component — Nintendo has always been behind when it comes to online functionality. Yes, you can play epic matches and race with friends from around the globe, but that’s the bare minimum in this day and age. Consumers expect a large online presence where a community is created and it’s easy to find your friends, see what games they are playing and communicate with them easily, even if there’s a fee.

Nintendo has offered little of that. Worst of all, there’s really very little information on the Switch’s online plans. Can you download classic games for free with a monthly fee? Can you indeed talk to your friends? Will it be seamless with a clean interface? More questions than answers after launch isn’t ideal.

Graphics — If there’s anything the video game industry has taught us over the years, it’s that the hardware with the best graphics doesn’t always win the war. That’s good news for Nintendo, which hasn’t matched other systems graphically in quite a long time. It wants to get you with new ways to play games. However, pretty games matter to gamers. It’s an easy sell to show off your friends how beautiful textures look in a game. Nintendo can make great-looking games, but in a different, cartoon-like style. Those that want realistic looks are going to stick with Sony or Microsoft.

Too late? — Let’s say the Switch is an excep-

tional system that fires on all cylinders. It’s innovative and Nintendo rebounded from its last blunder in the Wii U, which for all its flaws, still had great games. Is the writing already on the wall? Has the American market moved on from the company that brought games back to the country in a big way? Is there only room for Sony, PC and Microsoft? Perhaps if this system had been the original Wii’s successor, fans and executives would feel more at ease.

Time will tell.

Overall, I think this system is a solid step in the right direction that will keep the company in the game for years to come. Will it replicate the Wii or original Nintendo? No. But it’s a new world and the good news is that there’s plenty of room for the company.

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graphically, have a large variety of games, and price cuts. Meaning, you can buy a PS4 or Xbox One $50 cheaper and bundled with each of the system’s best games. Here’s hoping for Nintendo that the novelty of a new system as well as the unique experience it offers compared to the other two systems provides it with its own market.

Smartphones — Since the Switch is half portable, games for smartphones have to be part of the conversation. Sure, the games on these phones are largely poor quality and shallow experience, but you can’t deny the smartphone’s place in the market.

People spend tons of money and dollars on these games, and they reach Nintendo’s coveted casual gamer audience. Will people be intrigued?

Launch titles — Many people believe the Switch should’ve come up close to the holiday season. This way, Nintendo woud get more time to develop a solid launch lineup of games, just in time for Christmas. Imagine the new Super Mario, Zelda, updated Mario Kart 8, and other titles from outside Nintendo coming out the same day as the system.

But, for whatever reason, Nintendo wants it out for spring. It’s great but the problem is that the games are slim pickings. Luckily, Nintendo’s most critically important franchise is one of those launch titles, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” However, you would expect more than three retail games for a system launch that means a lot. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Nin-

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The pros and cons

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK

of being a campus RA Sometimes college can be hard to swing — between the price of classes, textbooks, extracurriculars and even the cost of living. It can pile up. One thing that can ease the burden is signing on to be a resident assistant for one of your college campus dorms.

This task, however wonderful (most colleges comp RAs by covering the cost of living on campus), is also a full-time job. Before you take the plunge and apply, it might be good to consider what you’re really getting into.

This one is plain and simple. With most colleges paying RAs in room and board, it’s kind of hard to say no to a job like this when you’re both qualified and in need of the extra cash.

“It’s a good way to save money while also getting involved with the student body,” said Ryan Bacci, an Iona College graduate (class of 2014) who spent his senior year working as a resident assistant.

“That’s a major pro.”

CON: Being on-call.

Most school require that resident assistants be “on-call” for specific amounts of time, often more than one time a week, and for some, even on the weekends. This is because a resident assistant needs to be either in the building or at the very least on campus to respond to any emergencies or problems other students might face. This means calls could come in in the middle of the night, and could interfere harshly with both your sleep schedule and social life.

PRO: The experience and lifelong friendships. CON: Extra work.

Being a resident assistant shows great leadership and managerial skills. To boot, you get to partake in tons of exciting programs and even lead some for the residents on the floor or in the building you manage.

This creates an instant bond, for many, between them and their students as well as them and their fellow RAs. "I think it teaches you accountability. RAs are taught and reminded that their life is in a fishbowl; that they will be seen first and foremost as an RA," added Iona College graduate and former resident assistant Erika Enlund (class of 2013).

"That, for me, was empowering and I still hold that essence with me in the workplace. My actions and my integrity speak louder than anything else so it's important to always keep that in check."

Also lifechanging, she said, were her residents.

"Of course that's cliché but it was different type of college relationship," Enlund said. "I still keep in touch with most of them and even my former RAs. I'm still cheering them on and watching them grow

Those programs (and bulletin boards and door decorations and flyers) don’t make themselves. Make sure that you take into account all of the extra time you’ll be putting in, and that it doesn’t tip the scale for you when it comes to your classes and other extracurriculars.

“It definitely has its challenges dealing with more than 40 college students and the challenges that comes with,” said Bacci, “but overall, it’s a good experience.”

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PRO: The payback.

and that's really cool. To know I was part of that growth is very special to me and I'll always be grateful for those two years regardless of the rounds, endless staff meetings, incidents, and bulletin board deadlines."

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REAL LIFE LESSONS FROM REAL COLLEGE GRADUATES

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK Aspire asked 10 graduates to give us their best pieces of advice for current undergrads.

What we got was a lot of reminiscing, a lot of excitement and a lot of lessons learned.

Here’s what our friends had to say:

“Time management is very important. It’s easy to get caught up in stuff, so try your best to organize your time well.”

“Get out and enjoy yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new things.”

“Ramen is your best friend when on a budget.” stick to the “Break social boundaries. Don’t just school, and kind of people you hung out with in high don’t be afraid to meet new people. They might surprise you.”

“Don’t always stay in and study. I mean, definitely study, by all means — an education is why you’re there — but don’t be afraid to say yes to a weeknight out with your roommates (so long as you don’t miss that 8 a.m. class).”

“Don’t skip involvement day.”

“Consider becom ing a resident assistant. It’s a lifechanging experience that prepares you for real leadership roles in the real world.”

“Many of the friends you make here will be friends for life. Make sure to keep in touch with them even after “Watch the money you’re spending on your meal card. It goes fast, and food is you walk across that stage at the end expensive.” of four years.” eshman 15 is real.”

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Mets 2017 Season Preview

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It’s a cliché but in baseball, even if you’re fortunate enough to make the World Series and win it, things go wrong and you never know what the future holds. Mets fans were confident that 2016 would be a cakewalk. It wasn’t. Everyone you can name was hurt at some point, most of them with season-ending injuries.

However, despite the tons of injuries, the Mets just won three fewer games than in 2015 when they made the World Series, with 87 wins and a trip to the postseason. It was a one-game playoff as a wild card, and they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the San Francisco Giants, but they did it.

It was a strange season. Fans were tense most of the year about the team not living up to the hype. Then there were the injuries. Former Met Daniel Murphy gave an MVP type performance for the Washington Nationals. Despite all that, it was a successful campaign given the adversity.

That’s a credit to the entire organization. And even though their beloved Mets didn’t get past the wild card game, fans should be happy given all that went wrong, because of the season’s potential for disaster.

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Mets 2017 Season Preview

— Lucas Duda can be a frustrating player at times. He’s got tons of power, and a good eye, and has evolved into a decent defensive first baseman (if you ignore that errant throw in the World Series).

Last year, he, like many others, succumbed to injury. A back injury, which is not what you want to hear from your power hitter, sidelined him for the majority of the season and he only appeared in 27 games.

He’s also a streaky hitter, like most players with his type of hitting.

— Neil Walker had an impressive first year for the Amazins’. It was a bitter pill to swallow to see Daniel Murphy of the rival Nationals hit the ball all season with ease and nearly take home MVP honors, especially since he was a fan favorite that carried the team during its magical 2015 World Series run.

Walker’s superior fielding and surprising power, 23 homers in 113 games, helped soften the blow.

Accepting his qualifying offer, Walker has more incentive to build on a year that also ended early due to a back injury, as he and the Mets haven’t come to terms on an extension as of now. Maybe that’s for the best so the Mets can observe how he’s rebounded from his injury. He’s not Daniel Murphy, but an integral part of this offense that the team needs to reach the postseason for a third straight season.

• SECOND BASE

• FIRST BASE

Here is a look at this year’s squad.

• SHORTSTOP

When healthy, he’s good for 30 homers, but they’ll come in bunches and he can struggle against lefties. Still, he can carry this feast-or-famine offense if Cespedes slumps and the up side can’t be ignored. The Mets also don’t mind that he’s an inexpensive solution at first.

This is a huge year for Duda as he ages and wants to cash in on a big contract. The Mets, like with many positions, need a contingency plan in case his back barks again. Their depth on the bench should help.

— What a great signing! GM Sandy Alderson is known for his solid trades (Syndergaard, Walker, etc.) but has faltered when signing free agents. Frank Francisco anyone? But he nailed it with Asdrubal Cabreara. Signing him to a two-year deal until one of the game’s best prospects, Amed Rosario, is ready, was thinking ahead. And what a first year they got from him! Not only was he a clutch hitter (I believe in clutch hitting) but he played hard and fielded surprisingly better than advance stats suggested. The Mets have to hope that he replicates last year’s production, because they were desperate for his offense.

— This is a rough one to describe. David Wright is what you want when you think of the face of the franchise.

He’s loyal, dedicated, and cares about the fan base and winning. But, his career has been derailed by spinal stenosis. The Mets hoped that they could get something out of the captain after he returned late in 2015, but you can tell he’s hurting out there. His 2016 season ended in May with a rather serious neck injury that is likely related to his back injury.

Now he has started spring training with a banged-up shoulder, also related. There’s no one with a bigger heart and no one that you want to root for more than Wright and unlike most that want to force him out the door, I think he deserves more than that. He deserves one more earnest effort. And if it fails, then perhaps call it a career. It hurts.

From a team perspective, Jose Reyes, who had a successful return, is a great solution to Wright’s injury woes and if he can master the position, the Mets will be in good shape. He’s also the leadoff hitter they’ve been looking for since… well, Jose Reyes.

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• THIRD BASE 25

Mets 2017 Season Preview • Left Field This was the big signing, the move that showed fans that although they’re not spending like the Dodgers, the Mets were ready to put money into the team to build a win-now atmosphere.

Everyone thought Cespedes was all but gone last year, but he returned essentially on a oneyear deal. So when the Mets were forced to play the negotiation game once again, things looked bleak. But they got him.

Did they overpay for four years and $110 million in a market where it was all about relievers and not power hitters? Maybe. But he means the

world to this team, which was all but left for dead until he returned from a short stint on the DL in August. Healthy, Cespedes again carried the Mets to a wild card berth, though they were two games under .500.

It’s scary for a team to rely on one player so much. Even Piazza had Ventura, Alfonzo and Olerud when he was the Mets’ star. Cespedes has power hitters around him, but it starts and ends with him, just like the starting pitching. A full season at left field may help his quad and hip issues, but that’s something to keep an eye on.

Yes, injuries again.

• Center Field

The Mets have a ton of outfielders, which is a good problem to have. However, it’s not the best defensive alignment outside of Cespedes. Curtis Granderson had an up and down season, but was still a key reason for the team’s impressive turnaround.

The Mets are happy to have this class act on the team. He’s a bit old, however, to play the demanding center field. Another streaky hitter that you’ll deal with when things aren’t going well, he’s another power threat that fans can rely on when the game counts. That sounds cliché, but the Mets were smart not to trade him. Here’s hoping his final year with the Mets is a greatest hits of his best moments.

• Right Field

• Bench

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The Mets have lacked depth over the years, but thankfully it’s not the case in 2017. Knowing the team’s luck, these bench players will see PLENTY of playing time so it’s a good thing that fine players like Wilmer Flores, who will hopefully break out offensively, Reyes (if Wright does play), Juan Lagares, T.J. Rivera, who looked more than capable for filling in will all get their chance to shine and, based on last year, they will. *Catcher -- Travis D'Arnaud was not very good last year. He got hurt again and came back looking like the once-promising catcher might lose his starting job. The Mets appear willing to give him another chance at a starting job, despite the woeful throws to second and unimpressive bat, hoping health will bring out the best in him. It could be that a full season and sticking to one batting stance will help the confusing case that is the catcher.

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Rene Rivera calls a better game and has a better arm, but doesn’t have any of the upside offensively that D’Arnaud could have. This could be the final stand for D’Arnaud.

Hitting balls into the gap should be a great sparkplug to the offense.

Jay Bruce was viewed by many as a panic move at a time when the Mets season was falling apart. The power hitter showed little power with the Mets, received boos and lost a second base prospect in the process. Cespedes he was not. The plan in the off-season was to trade him if Cespedes returned. However, there were no takers.

Rather than paying a team to take him, they are holding on to him for now, which is not a bad move. He can still get on a tear, albeit brief, but the problem is he’s clogging up

a spot for Michael Conforto, who has tons of potential but suffered a serious slump for the most of 2016.

Is it because of his sporadic playing time? Confidence issues?

Or pitchers figuring him out?

Whatever the case, the Mets owe it to themselves and their fans to give him every chance to turn into the star everyone thought he would be in 2015. That can’t happen if Bruce plays every day. Perhaps it works itself out somehow and Conforto hits so well, he forces his way in the lineup. But it’s an issue for a developing player.

Photos courtesy of the New York Mets and MLB.com

• BULLPEN

– This is every team’s question mark. The Mets seem equipped to have a solid bullpen. It’s similar to last year’s which had its ups and down. And they have extra starters that can take on roles if needed. They have solid lefties in Jeremy Blevins and Josh Smoaker, who I believe should make the team.

Addison Reed, another great Alderson trade, has been great for the team as a set-up man. You hope he replicates it. He might be needed as a closer for a portion of the season because Jeurys Familia will likely get suspended under MLB’s domestic abuse program. Familia had a good year, but was shakier than in 2015. The game-winning homer he gave up in the ninth during the Wild Card game is a reminder that he could falter during key moments. He’s still a closer the team is lucky to have. If Hansel Robles can learn control and not give up the homer, he can also contribute. The other pieces will be interchangeable.

This is a good team on paper and on the field. The problem isn’t talent.

The Mets have their star hitter, a bunch of players that can hit home runs, a rotation that is top to bottom better than anyone’s, a good enough rotation, and decent depth.

Fans dislike Terry Collins but you can’t deny that players respect him and play hard for him. Last year was his best achievement as he dealt with tons of injuries and brought the team to 87 wins and the playoffs. If at least a majority of these players stay healthy, the energized fan base will see playoff baseball, whether it’s wild card or matching the defending NL East Champion Washington Nationals and getting the pennant back.

Nonetheless, the organization has decided to put its entire faith in an injury-ridden rotation. One can’t blame it for that. They are incredible talents. However, in an era in the game where pitchers are dropping like flies, it may be too much of a gamble in philosophy.

Also this offense lives and dies by the home run. They need to do a better job moving runners over and playing small ball by manufacturing runs without hitting the ball over 400 feet. The last two years, despite their success, they have struggled mightily offensively. The reality is that over-relying on one hitter, the questions marks around David Wright, some aging hitters and injuries on everyone that pitches a baseball could drown the Mets.

My prediction -- there will be injuries but not enough to stop the Mets from being in playoff contention. They will either clinch a wild card birth or division.

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• STARTING ROTATION

— This is what will determine how far the Mets go. They put all their hopes in these starters, and rightfully so. Syndergaard has quickly gone from rising star to flat-out star. DeGrom, before ANOTHER season ending injury late in the year, would be an ace on most teams. He’s number two if Noah continues his progression. Wow! Then there’s Steven Matz, who when healthy, has the potential of the first two mentioned. Of course, health again will be an issue. He seems to be the most fragile of the bunch, but he’s young and if he gains some strength, the hope is he stays on the field. He too had to be shut down during the all-important September stretch.

Speaking of season-ending injuries, there is the conundrum that is Matt Harvey. After a very impressive return from Tommy John surgery in 2015, he looked like a shell of himself, giving up homer after homer and dropping velocity. He swore he was healthy. So did the team.

He wasn’t. He was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and missed the rest of the year. It’s a serious surgery and no one knows what to expect from the Dark Knight. His velocity was down in his first spring outing. It could be rust. Of all the question marks, the one fans proclaimed the next Tom Seaver is the team’s biggest question mark.

Zack Wheeler, after missing two years of baseball, will finally pitch! His comeback will happen. How successful it will be is another story. If he regains his form from long ago and evolves, you’re looking at a really great situation where you may be able to survive if another pitcher goes down. Big if. Another possibility is that he could turn into a solid reliever. No one knows to expect from Wheeler, much like Wright and Harvey.

It’ll be an interesting spring for him.

Then there are two starters that came out of nowhere and helped bring the Mets to the playoffs. Now they are insurance if the big five go down, or could be solid relievers. Robert Gselleman and Seth Lugo put up impressive numbers not only for what scouts considered to be low level prospects, but for anyone. Gselleman will probably take the fifth starter role and if he continues to progress, that’s a great choice. The problem is we saw these pitchers in a small sample and we don’t know if they’ll progress or regress. Gselleman seems like the real deal, though.

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QNS.com iS the New deStiNatioN for everythiNg QueeNS! BreakiNg NewS free claSSifiedS iNteractive eveNtS caleNdar coNNect with your commuNity oN NeighBorhood PageS MALOCCLUSION AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE Malocclusion affects 74% of American adults. If you have malocclusion, it may affect your periodontal health, because it is difficult to remove plaque when teeth are not aligned. Periodontal disease can begin as hum redness or bleeding while brushing your teeth or using dental floss, and you may notice halitosis, or bad breath. If not treated, hum inflammation can become worse, leading to soft tissue damage, receding gums, the formation of pockets between teeth and hums, bone loss, and eventually tooth loss.

THE PROGRESSION OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE When teeth are crowded, plaque with harmful bacteria can attach to the tooth surface down to the bottom of the pocket. Plaque can be difficult to remove from crowded areas because it is difficult to brush and floss here. Bacteria can cause gum tissue surrounding the tooth to degrade, and if not treated, result in bone loss.

WEAR AND TRAUMA Poorly aligned teeth can also create unnatural stress and pressure on teeth and jaws. Teeth that are subject to excessive pressure can develop chipping and notches at the gum line called abfractions. Premature wear can lead to poor root support, loose teeth and eventually, tooth loss.

STRAIGHT TEETH ARE HEALTHIER TEETH Straight, properly aligned teeth can help you avoid the negative effects of periodontal disease.

HEALTHIER GUMS Properly aligned teeth are easier to brush and floss than crowded or crooked teeth. Properly positioned teeth can help gums “fit� more tightly around them, which may lead to better periodontal health.

IMPROVED HYGIENE With good oral hygiene, the chances of having plaque retention, tooth decay, and periodontal disease can be reduced.

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An interview with BY JAIM E DEJESUS Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Seinfeldia Very few shows pass the test of time, especially comedies. Sure, there’s always a hit show that rakes in huge ratings, wins a few awards, and gets the desirable syndication deal. But, funny changes over time.

However, there are exceptions and for nearly 30 minutes, a show that you are so familiar with, from the stage to the characters’ quirks and delivery to every piece of dialogue, could still take you to a place of comfort and amusement. You could probably count these shows on one hand. It’s likely that the programs that will pop into the minds of millions first is “Seinfeld.”

Known to its adoring fans as the show about nothing, “Seinfeld” meant everything to viewers, a powerful network and an extremely talented slew of writers, directors, producers and actors.

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Next year will mark 20 years since the show that the Writers Guild of America named in 2013 as the second best written TV series of all time went off the air.

However, in the hearts of viewers, it lives on.

Whether you were too young to remember the ingeniou s chemistr y bet ween four New Yor ker s named Jer r y Seinfeld, Julia Louis Drey f u s, Ja son Alexander and Michael Richards and tons of amazing reoccur r ing char ac ter s (Cr az y Joe Davola, Soup Nazi) or old enough to remember the hype, it lives on through syndic ation seemingly more than any other television show.

Seriously, it’s always on at some point. It’s created a universe of fans that understand every catchphrase, every reference, everything. To this day, people still talk about their favorite episodes as if they just aired.

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Despite this, amazingly enough, however, there haven’t been any extensive books published regarding the beloved show until Jennifer Keishin Armstrong came along and decided to write the definitive read on the show that changed television and Seinfeld and Larry David’s careers forever, Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything (Simon & Schuster).

Armstrong is no stranger to tackling pop culture. In addition to tacking the history of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in her last book, she has written for The New York Times Book Review, Fast Company, New York‘s Vulture, BBC Culture, Entertainment Weekly and more.

The New York resident discussed with this avid fan of the book how a show that faced insurmountable odds of even making it beyond the pilot episode became must-see television and everything in between.

ow did the idea of writing about such a beloved show come about? It seems like such a great idea to write about a show that really changed sitcoms, yet there wasn’t a book as high quality as yours out there. So how did the opportunity come about?

Like you said, I was very surprised that there wasn’t a book about this but I think we are also at the beginning of maybe a time when we’ll see more books taking television seriously because we are in the early days I think of taking television as

seriously as we take our film and music and there are lots of books about those.

My previous book was about “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

We liked that as an approach in general. I was planning on working with the same publisher Simon & Schuster and once you know that you’re looking for specific shows to write a book about, there actually aren’t that many that have enough to be said about them to fill 300-plus pages.

It was a no-brainer when we were looking at that and a show that really had an effect on television history, had a story to tell and something we care enough about now to write books about, quite frankly. There aren’t that many shows that live up to those ideals

and “Seinfeld” seemed like the obvious choice. ere you a “Seinfeld” fan from the beginning?

The thing I always say is, if we were alive and watching televisions in the ‘90s, it was sor t of hard to avoid. You didn’t really make a choice.

Ever ybody was watching and talking about it at some point.

I didn’t watch it f rom the

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v e r y beginning, but ver y few people did see the technical beginning, that f irst couple of episodes. I think I probably caught on around the same time as the other people and caught up through syndication.

But I remember watching when it was absolutely required that you watch and understand what other people were talking about the next day. love how you portrayed how badly the odds were stacked against the show. It seems like nine out of 10 times, a show like that fails.

It’s a huge reason why I thought it would make such a great book.

You want to hear the story. You need there to be obstacles and even though we know how this turned out, you need something interesting to say.

I always joke when people often say, “Oh, you should write a book about ‘Friends’” and it’s not as exciting a story because it’s not surprising that a show about six beautiful young people who were being very funny turned out to be an instant hit.

Whereas, [“Seinfeld” is] a show that never should’ve gotten on the air, never should’ve lasted and it did anyway, and became one of the biggest shows of all time.

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hy were Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld so confident?

One of the great things about Larry and Jerry, I think, is that it seems like as if at every stage, they didn’t totally care if the show lasted. They were more interested in writing the show that they wanted to and they seemed like they were ready to walk away at any time. Larry would say every season that he was quitting and Jerry, we saw that he actually ended the show voluntarily and always wanted to go

I

Photos courtesy of NBC and Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

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back to stand-up. So I think that gave them this confidence to do what they wanted to do and be ready to walk if the networks said no and it seemed like it worked, because a couple of times they were close.

“The Chinese Restaurant” is a great example. The networks were like, no, we really don’t think we should do this and then they said okay, well, I guess we’ll stop doing the show, and they’re like, no, stay. So I think that was one of their strengths and what allowed them to do these things we hadn’t seen before. ow was their work ethic and did they get along?

The way that I describe it and I don’t think this is my original lineup, I‘m pretty sure I’m stealing it from somewhere is that they’re kind of like a Lennon and McCartney. They were a nice balance for each other and they inspired each other. But I don’t think there were many conflicts.

If you watch them interact, even now, you can see they have this perfect rapport and that they really respect each other. arry David is portrayed in an amazing way in this book. Why do you think he never wanted to go beyond the pilot or the first season? Was he insecure about his work?

It seems like that. But he’s so interesting because he has this insecurity but also this incredible confidence so he’s a really complicated guy.

My guess is he liked them talking

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him into it a little bit. He was a little worried and kind of needed them to say he could do this. That way he could have his cake and eat it too. If it failed, he could say, “See I told you we shouldn’t have done anymore.” And he was not super young when he started doing this. He had a long standup career and a lot of success.

Everyone called him a comic’s comic.

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o you think he kind of always wanted to be a lead, which is why he started “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which is another brilliant show?

It’s hard to know for sure what he wants. I think he figured he could do it at this point whereas it didn’t seem as if it was something he could do when they were first making “Seinfeld.” People were like why didn’t he play George?

At that point, writing was enough for him. This

time, it gives him more control over the product and it does seem like for both of these guys, a big part of their creative lives is having as much creative control as possible. ow long did it take you to write this book and what were some of your favorite interviews or moments during the process?

I think it was about a year and a half. It’s always a lot of fun rewatching all the episodes, but I would say what I really liked

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Awards can be weird and silly sometimes.

We’ve seen weird Oscar wins and injustices for sure. Who knows what goes on with these people? "

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talking to them, that they had this completely different process, so that’s why I ended up with two or three chapters of writers’ stuff because it seemed so stressful and fascinating. hy do you think “Seinfeld” didn’t receive that much success with Emmys and various awards? Did it cater to a New York audience too much?

From the number of people watching, that can’t be it. Awards can be weird and silly sometimes.

We’ve seen weird Oscar wins and injustices for sure. There are certain things that tend to appeal in the moment to establishment voters in those contests. Who knows what goes on with these people? I think it was good in a way because it’s “Seinfeld.” It’s kind of your reverent street cred. Oh, nobody gets us even though the entire nation was watching them.

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he cast seemed to get along even with different personalities, such as Michael Richards, who seemed like the most intense actor.

It seems like it for the most part. Of course, any groups have minor feuds and they famously had their negotiation issues around the second-to-last season.

And we know that Michael was interesting. It’s true a lot of the time, there’s always one in a sitcom cast that is the method actor, who has to be in character and famously hated when people would laugh and break during the middle of his scenes.

He was a little more intense than the other three who seemed incredibly relaxed and could work in this pretty straightforward kind of way. It was one of the best casts we’ve ever seen. It’s not like when you

cast 22-year-olds. When they’ve been around, and they know how lucky they are, there’s a different feeling and they really appreciated it even in the moment. hat was the turning point for the show that signaled that it was here to stay? Was it season three?

It seems there were a few turning points. They built steam a bit by season three or four.

Everyone was watching. That episode was interesting because it was clear to them at that point that they thought the network was going to balk at the plot line.

And they said okay. The thing with networks, if you’re making money for them, that’s when you can do whatever you want. They have all kinds of suggestions and problems until you’re making money.

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was interviewing a lot of the writers for the show. I like talking to people about the origins of their creativity and story.

And sometimes, and I may be exaggerating, they said nobody’s ever talked to us about this stuff.

So it was really fun because they had all these stories and they were very generous and it was thrilling to talk to these people where I’d see their name but didn’t know much about what they looked like in real life. loved that you concentrated on the writers and how they would hire new ones for fresh ideas and so many people contributed to these classic episodes. Was that a big point you wanted to make?

Especially in this case, this was extra interesting because of their creative process. That was something I didn’t know before I started writing the book and

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as this style of writing, taking these different writers’ own experiences and building an episode out of it, unique to “Seinfeld?”

In some ways, yes and in some ways, no. I would say it’s tough because when I wrote “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” book, a huge part of that was about how they hired more women writers than any show before it because they wanted to use real women’s stories for the actual show, and now I’m now writing a book about “Sex in the City” where they had writers that would use their real dating experiencing and wouldn’t use it unless it was real.

I think there’s that school and the silly sitcom school of zany, stupid stuff happening, so the thing with “Seinfeld” that I think was really different was this focus on these tiny things and the sort of minutiae of everyday life. There were big characters but also these tiny moments they emphasize. That’s why they had to keep bringing in the new

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writers. But they were looking for those tiny moments like the whole double dipping, yadda yadda, all that stuff, that is what was challenging. You needed a certain eye for those details to notice them in life and know how to make them into something. t seems like they did a great job writing for female characters, specifically Elaine.

Yes. It’s very clear when you’re interviewing these writers, that it’s a bunch of white guys. With 2017 eyes, it’s very clear. There were a few women here and there who I talked to but for the most part it was a lot of guys, so I always asked. The thing that really worked was that they didn’t really make a huge distinction.

They didn’t say figure out how to write a woman. They just gave Elaine the same plotline they would give guys and she was her own character just like the guys were and that’s how they knew how to write her. really didn’t realize until I read the book how different the

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show’s tone was once David left.

I still love those episodes, but there were some more over-thetop scenes and characters. Do you think the show suffered with his absence?

I think a lot of people noticed the difference at the time; everyone was watching really closely at that point. The difference was probably overestimated in the moment. If you watch them now, like you said, there were still great episodes at the time, like the soup Nazi, which was in the last two seasons. It’s not terrible.

A downtick “Seinfeld” is still a really good episode. It’s not even really so much a downtick; it’s a matter of personal taste. It was a loss of that dark Larry David thing. The last episode which he wrote, to me was the ultimate Larry David mic drop moment.

He comes back for the finale and puts them in prison so he’s just a little darker. id you enjoy the last episode?

I sort of defended it. I understand why people didn’t

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like it but I sort of admire the risk it took and while I understand people’s issues with it, I think it holds up better now than it did in that moment of incredible heights. I think it was too much before at the time but if you look at it now, it’s a great piece of work on its own, even if it’s not perfect. hat would you advice be for others that want to write a book like this or any kind?

I think my advice to anyone who wants to do this kind of writing is just to start doing it.

Just get out there, practicing, start getting published and start learning about the subject because you need to know a lot and be passionate about it. I took a year and a half on it and then for eight months I’ve been talking about it and it’s probably going to continue so you really have to be excited about your subject matter or else you’ll burn out.

You have to be passionate about it and that comes through in the work you do.

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By Eduardo Cerchiara ecerchiara@queenscourier.com

CELEB STYLE

By Helen Klein

Check out Kendall Jenner’s stylish duds – an oversized plaid in black and white adds flash to a two-piece skirt set cinched with a burgundy cummerbund. Beige mid-calf boots complete the look.

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KARLIE KLOSS wows in a knee-skimming sheer skirt with zodiac images, paired with a palmistry tee in basic black. Pointy, high heeled black pumps and a modest gray shoulder bag add the perfect finishing touch.

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Condola Rashad’s indigo sleeveless dress with an artfully positioned cut-out front boasts a swingy skirt. Big hoop earrings and easy black strappy sandals are the only accessories needed here.

Spring has sprung

The long and short of it for spring, 2017 are snappy, easy-to-wear dresses and separates that go easily from city streets to an evening of clubbing, missing nary a beat.

An easy taupe coat fends off springtime breezes in this look, worn by Karla Souza. A simple long-sleeved black tee and trim black trousers are understated yet stylish. Souza tops it all off with a fedora; on her feet, sneakers prove that comfort rules.

Images courtesy of Splash News and Picture Agency

Black is back in this easy-to-wear outfit that Bella Hadid sports. Highlights include a windowpane plaid black and white coat over a white shirt and black skirt, the latter accented by broad lacing. A trim shoulder bag in basic black adds a perfect grace note.

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A cropped tee and distressed jeans – yes, they are bellbottoms! – are a perfect pairing as worn by Emily Ratajkowski, whose coat is the real statement piece, long and green, tied casually at the waist, and with fur finishing at cuffs and hem. Sandals and an intricately adorned bag reinforce the look’s yin and yang – casual yet ornamented.

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aspiring

Astrology HOROSCOPE

Spring has sprung, and so has a new semester. Here’s some astrological guidance to get you through the New Year.

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20) Trust your gut, Taurus. You have a funny feeling about something (or someone) in your life. Now, we’re not saying walk away completely, but keep one eye open. You’re good at doing that. Let those years of intuition guide you down the right road.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 21) What can go wrong, will go wrong. Is that Murphy’s Law, Gemini, or just your recent life mantra? Don’t let a couple of bad days (or weeks) get you down in the dumps. Use that momentum to propel you forward this new semester, and get those creative juices flowing. Good things await you.

CANCER

(June 22-July 22) You have a chance to do something great this season, Cancer. Though, you have a habit of doubting yourself.

Don’t overthink it. And, most importantly, don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

LEO

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(July 23-August 22) Let it go, Leo. Be it a falling out with a friend, a fight with a new flame or a failed final, life is too short to hold onto excess baggage.

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VIRGO

(August 23-September 22) You’ve arrived at a crossroad between what you truly want and that which comes easily. Be patient. Advice will come when you least expect it (and when you most need it).

LIBRA

(September 23-October 22) Did somebody call for a referee? More often than not, Libra, you tend to be the peacemaker of the group. Maybe it’s your tipping scales, or maybe it’s your convictions, but you know what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s plain uncool. Trust your gut and don’t be afraid to put a few people in their place this semester.

SCORPIO

(October 23-November 21) You’re resourceful, Scorpio, and you’ve been saving up all semester.

Whether it be time off or actual cash, put it to good use. Spoil yourself with something this summer. You earned it.

SAGITTARIUS

(November 22-December 21) Cut yourself some slack, Sagittarius.

It’s not always going to be rainbows and butterflies – even when the sun is shining. Don’t be afraid to let yourself feel, and confront someone or something that is making you upset.

CAPRICORN

(December 22-January 19) You’ve got an itch, Capricorn, be it a bite by the travel bug or a hankering to try a new hobby. Surrender to it this spring, even if all it means is checking out a new club on campus, or attending a study abroad seminar.

AQUARIUS

(January 20-February 18) Be careful what you wish for, Aquarius. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side and, if you dive right in, you might be missing home field.

PISCES

(February 19-March 20) There’s no traffic on the high road, Pisces. Don’t be afraid to take it this semester (and show a few people how you roll while you do it).

ARIES

(March 21-April 19) A new opportunity – career or personal – is right around the corner, Aires.

Keep up the hard work and you’ll be guaranteed a light at the end of the tunnel (or finals week). Don’t let an impulse decision throw you off track.

Christie L. A.A. | NYSCAS ’16 Aspiring political news correspondent

NYSCAS

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Becoming an Army officer allows you to empower and inspire others.

When you lead Soldiers, you gain the skills to lead in life. What’s the best way to get there? The Army ROTC program at more than 1,100 colleges nationwide. You can get: • Unmatched personal development • Advanced career training • Opportunities for scholarships • The chance to be commissioned as an officer upon the completion of ROTC courses Many of today’s public and private sector leaders in management, business, science, engineering and technology got their start with Army ROTC – so can you.

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