Open House Reveals Answers to Questions About Future University Center

On February 18^th, from 3:30 to 6:00 P.M., New School University held an open house to address the future of the 65 Fifth Avenue building and to provide more information to both faculty and students.

The open house, located at 55 West 13^th Street, was structured with a representative present at individual stations concerning different elements of the building. 

The open house provided those from the New School community an opportunity to ask desired questions and give feedback on the progress of the building, including information on the interior and exterior of the building, who’s been involved with the project, and overall planning.

“We’re trying to give the university community a 360 on everything about, not only the university center, but on capital projects and space planning,” said Tim Marshall, Provost & Co-Chair of the University Facilities Committee.

The New School, which, according to Marshall is “space-starved,” is in dire need of this new addition to its property. The necessity of the new building also stems from the lack of space at the Welcome Center located at 72 Fifth Avenue, which is supposed to serve at a centralizing space for New School. The space will accommodate the fast-paced growth of the New School community. The number of students taking credit at the New School has increased by 18 percent from Fall 2002 to Fall 2007.

The events revealed features of the new building that would, according to planners, better centralize the university and unite students from all eight schools.

“It’s going to be a dramatic impact on creating a campus for The New School,” said Frank Barletta, senior vice president for finance and business.

John Aubry, Assistant University Librarian for Access Services, believes that a certain element of the new building, in particular, will be a significant improvement.

“The [new] library will really be destination as the top of the academic heart of the building,” Aubry said.

According to Aubry, the library will provide ample study space that students now lack.

Though “we are never going to replicate the collection at Bobst,” said Aubry, referring to New York University’s large library that shares its collection with New School, “we want to focus on a collection that supports the teaching and learning needs of the New School.”

In addition to the expansion of New School’s library, the 65 Fifth Ave building will also include design studios, classrooms, resource centers, offices for faculty, laboratories, an auditorium, dining facilities, and dorm space on nine of the 16 floors. 

Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill is the University Center’s design architect, The Durst Organization is the developer, and the Tishman Construction Corporation is the construction manager.

The building is planned to be completed by September 2013. 

This past summer Parsons student Blanca Benavides designed several clothing items for the Peruvian department store Saga Falabella. The collection is programmed to be on sale this upcoming summer.

Benavides, 19, originally from Lima, Peru, is currently a sophomore at Parsons. Last July she decided to apply to an internship with the department store, not thinking they would ever give her the task of actually designing some of their clothes. “My cousin, who used to work in Saga, urged me to send them my resume and so I did.”, Benavides says.

From the moment of her interview, Arturo Rios, corporate graphic designer at Saga Falabella, was impressed by Benavides’ skills. “Even though she had just completed her freshmen year, she knew how to use more design programs than anyone in our company. “, Rios says.

During Benavides’ second week at Saga, Rios asked her to design some shirts and jackets using Illustrator, a program she uses at Parsons. Benavides had some experience in fashion design after completing several courses in the Peruvian academy for fashion design Mod’ Art, yet she had merely completed her Foundations year at Parsons. “I had no idea what Saga looked for in a collection, so I decided to use my own sources of inspiration. My focuses were my friends, New York City, and pop culture”.

Like that, she designed shirts and jackets using the lyrics of popular songs, such as Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, and the cities that reminded her of her friends such as London, Paris, and New York. Rios was pleasantly surprised by Benavides’ designs. “She understood what the popular Peruvian market wanted. I was afraid that she would opt for high fashion items that would not really sell in Lima. Yet she managed to add an innovative touch to a commercial collection. I am very proud of her.”, Rios says.

Four of Blanca’s designs made it to their actual 2010 collection. Her designs will go towards the department store’s own brand Sybilla. Camila Peralta, designer at Saga Falabella says, “Blanca’s designs are very artsy and modern, something that perfectly fits Sybilla’s style.”

Benavides is now an illustration major at Parsons. “I decided to switch my major to illustration because drawing is what I like to do best. I love fashion and I always will, but I find illustration more interesting as a career.” Nevertheless, she considers her internship at Saga the most fulfilling career opportunity she has had so far and she is eager to see her designs in their upcoming collection.

Student Senate Member Corey Mullee Talk About His Current Projects

Lang Student Senate Corey Mulle assisted last Thursday to the first informal meeting of the university student senate where their discussed their individual goals for the ongoing academic year. Corey Mulle, who was elected to this seat in February 10, 2010 out of five other candidates, won the election by 34% of the vote.

The meeting was held at a local coffee shop near the school where the entire student senate of the university came together to prioritize the issues that are affecting the most the student population. “Among the many things that need to be done at Lang alone,” Corey Mulle explained, “I first want to inform the Lang and the entire New School community that the student senate has the power and the funding to advocate for its student.” Mulle claims that the student body is not aware of the resources, support and power that the student senate possess, which is at the disposition of the students. He additionally added that “informing the Lang community thoroughly about the role of the student senate is vital for the oncoming projects.”

Corey Mulle, a sophomore in the Urban Studies field, first came interested in becoming a student senate while writing for the school press. Mulle shared during the conference that his experienced as a writer in the school press and being also a student in the school made him quiet aware of the issues and problems that are increasingly affecting students, but that are merely talked about it. Among theses issues, he emphasized the need of a functioning and assessable printer at the Lang building for which, according to Mulle, funding can be easily allocated.

Mulle surely have won the support of Lang student Gizela Aponte who shared the need of a printing machine at the Lang facility. “We pay a lot of money to come this college,” Aponte commented to me as I approach her in the computer lap at 65 W 11th st building, “and we have to move back and forward just to print. It is annoying.” Mulle proposes to work on these types of issue, which he believe will make a huge different for the Lang students.

The student senate was officially recognized on April 2007 and since then it has undergone numerous structural changes. This is the fourth student election since it was officially legitimize and to the date, there are students who claims that it has done poorly in improving the experience of the students. Jay Taylor, a sophomore at Lang, claims that the student senate members “become only false promises…you can’t point out anything they have done that truly benefit the student community.”

Of course this only one student account, nonetheless it raises considerable questions as to what the student senate has achieved in the past 3 years. Mulle assure all students that he is committed to serve the students and will work to change the negative perception that students might have through achievement.

It has only been a week since this first informal meeting and the student senate agenda is already up and running at their website. There is not a schedule meeting at this time, thus the student senate declared that they would start working in the most urgent issues immediately.

Students Fail To See The Future Of 65 Fifth Avenue

Thursday February 18^th from 3:30 to 6:30pm in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center of Arnoald Hall an open house was held to give students, faculty and members of the community the chance to view the current plans for the 65 Fifth Avenue building; student attendance totaled six.

Theresa Lang hall was set up to showcase a layout that led visitors through multiple aspects of the planning process and culminated with poster boards giving views of “The Auditorium, Student Center, Library,” as will as classrooms, a meal hall and student housing. The multiple poster boards used to showcase the planning process gave visitors a glance at who was involved, what steps were taken in getting building plans accepted by the city and a rough outline as of now as to what the final product might look like. There were representatives present at each set of poster boards who were somehow involved in that part of the process station to answer questions. There was however no timeline given for the construction of the new building and its completion.

“In spring 2009 The New School established the University Facilities Committee comprised of faculty, administrative leadership facilities staff and students, “ this is taken form one the poster boards outlining the who involved in the planning process. The poster goes on to explain that the role of the University Facilities Committee was to “provide a consultative role in the programming and design of the campus, including the university center at 65 Fifth Avenue. Of the five students that were involved in the planning process there were no undergraduates and no one representing Lang, Parsons, Jazz, Mannes or The New School for Drama.

“It was like trying to steer the Titanic, and you are turning the wheel but Lia Gartner and James Murtha are holding the rudder,” Heather Contant, the only student member of the University Facilities Committee present commented when asked about her involvement in the planning process. Contant, who is a Lang alum and is currently pursuing her graduate degree at the New School for General studies said that being involved in the planning of 65 Fifth Avenue was a frustrating experience but gave her a real understanding of what it’s like to work with large companies and multiple indviduals. “ I now understand how these things really work from start to finish” Constant said.

When asked about the poor student turn out, Constant said she wasn’t surprised. Two of the other students, Aundrea Vocos and Ben Dombus both from Lang who were there on behalf of the New School Radio seemed to share the same sentiment. Between 5pm and 6:30 there were four students total. Vocos and Dombus who had been there the length of the even said they had seen two other students making student attendance six total.

“I wish there were more students here, but that’s a wish. I think the students are narcissistic, lazy and not committed to there school” Dombus said with a smile.

“There is a lack of organization, lack of people leading and a lot or red tape,” Vocos said responding to the lack of student participation university wide. She said she felt that that this event was poorly advertised but even so the student body is stand offish when it comes to any sort of involvement.

Project Runway Filming Bothers Fashion Students at Parsons

Students and faculty at Parsons The New School for Design were denied access to parts of the university’s Times Square building for three weeks this February due to filming for the reality television show, Project Runway. Though most of the show's filming is done when school is not in session, filming has taken place for three weeks in February every season, each time causing parts of the building to be blocked off.
The building is primarily used for students and teachers of fashion design. According to Mark Hannah, Director of Academic Communications at Parsons, the floor which was blocked off contains only an auditorium and a common seating area for students.
“No classrooms or studios or other students rooms are affected. The only use students have on this floor is sitting in the entrance lobby,” said Mr. Hannah. “Since there are no classes on this floor the filming did not affect any classes.”
Students and faculty who use the building regularly, however, described the situation differently. According to Janelle Abbott, a sophomore who is studying fashion design at Parsons, the filming spread further than the auditorium and common room on the second floor.
“They took up like a floor and half,” claims Abbott. “They took over the auditorium and common room on one floor and three classrooms on other floors.”
The blocking off of student space seems to have annoyed a number of students and faculty. As acknowledged by Mr. Hannah, the common area for students was blocked off, a lobby where many relax or do homework in between classes. While Abbott says that she generally uses the space just once a week, many students use it frequently. Danielle Frankel, also a student of fashion at Parsons, is one of these students, and found the filming to be a nuisance.
“There are tables set up on that floor that we use to do work during breaks and there is only one other small area in the [building] that students can sit at tables, so that was annoying,” states Frankel.
The floor is used by students for other purposes as well, despite Mr. Hannah’s claim that the second floor’s only student-used area is the common room.
“Some people were upset because there is a lightbox there, one of the few in school, and they couldn’t use it,” says Frankel.
Other uses of the floor include the seating area in the auditorium, where most filming takes place; one teacher, who wished not to be identified, teaches her classes there and claims that the filming has affected her ever since the show began. Although the professor describes the show’s production crew as very nice and respectful, she finds the filming bothersome and described one incident where she had to teach a class in a small section on the side of the auditorium because the rest of the room had been set up for the show’s filming.
The administration is apparently oblivious to this, as Mr. Hannah stated that “there is no programmed student usage of the floor.”
Besides the crew’s infiltration of the auditorium, she claims that teaching on the third floor can be difficult during filming, as the sound booth is located on this floor and foot traffic can distract students.
“We are still a school and my number one concern is for the students to have zero distractions during my class,” she stated.
Other complaints included the fact that filming blocked students off from using the stairways. Abbot explained how students have to walk a few feet across the second floor to get to the rest of the stairs, but were stopped by production members.
“They made you go back down and stand and wait for the elevator,” says Abbott. Usually, she said, she takes the stairs, and loses time when she is forced to take the elevator.
“Really snobby girls were telling me I couldn’t use the stairs,” she claims. “I was like, ‘But this is my school!’”
The occurrence of such inconveniences in the building have naturally led to discussion about Project Runway’s affect on Parsons. The show is a competition reality show, where fifteen or so fashion designers are selected every season and compete in challenges. The last few designers are given the opportunity to present a fashion line at New York Fashion Week; the ultimate winner usually wins money and some sort of a contract to help them launch their own fashion label.
The show has been filmed at Parsons since it started in 2004, and the show’s contestants and hosts frequently make references to the university.
“I think it is a very good show and great publicity for our school,” states the Parsons teacher. “To the outside world, we are in the coolest place to be!”
Mr. Hannah also described Project Runway as having a positive affect on Parsons’ reputation.
“[The show] exposes Parsons internationally and that attracts students from around the world. We think this is a good thing,” says Mr. Hannah.
But the students don’t necessarily agree that Project Runway has helped Parsons, despite bolstering its reputation.
“I don’t think the association is good because it raised tuition. Also, many more people want to study fashion now, because of the show. There isn’t enough room though, so during foundation year [teachers] actively try to deter students from the fashion program,” states Abbott.
Frankel agrees, recalling how, during the freshman foundation year at Parsons, faculty tried to make the fashion major sound intimidating to students, even saying during orientation that a large percentage of would-be fashion students would drop out before graduation.
Regardless of the show’s affect on the Parsons reputation, however, the actual filming of the show seems to be the more pressing issue to students and faculty.
“One of the ladies who was on the production crew rudely told me that I could not be [on the second floor],” says Frankel. “I felt like saying, ‘This is my school!’ It was like someone telling me I couldn’t be somewhere in my own home.”
There also seems to be an apparent disconnect between the administration and those who regularly use the building, as Mr. Hannah’s description of the situation, which stated that filming does not take over any student-used areas besides the common area, greatly differs from the accounts of students and teachers. According to them, the auditorium is often used as a classroom, and production also took over a number of classrooms and other student facilities, like the light box, in addition to blocking the stairways.
Because the tuition for Parsons is so expensive, many students felt that the floor restrictions were unfair, especially because Project Runway doesn’t provide Parsons students with anything in return.
“Project Runway really should do something for Parsons students, like a seminar with [the show’s host] Tim Gunn. They should give something back,” says Abbott. “Or, maybe if I paid another $30,000, they would let me take the stairs.”

Snow Storms Not Welcome in New York; Says Residents

New York may be America’s favorite city but its residents don’t seem to think so. The city’s recent snow storms have made local residents not so eager to enjoy the big apple.

“Of course not” says Cheryl Robinson of Greenwich village, when asked if she’s ventured outside her home in the past few weeks. “The snow is becoming a bit ridiculous. It’s really starting to be a nuisance” she continued. New York has had two consecutive weeks where the snow has been a problem. First was February 9th, where a slew of schools and local businesses were closed due to the city’s biggest snowstorm of the season .The city’s snowfall measured 10 inches and the snowfall along with winds was constant throughout the day. Then a week later: February 16th, snowfall was also prominent during the day hours. However that snow wasn’t as costly as the previous week.

The Christian Science Monitor estimated that New York City pays $1 million per inch of snow. So this means the city was out of $10 million after the February 9th snow storm alone, not including the other previous snow issues or the future snow problems yet to endure.

“I hope all the worst storms have already come” says Stephanie Holiday, a student at Eugene Lang College. “I would like to enjoy the city for once. It’s so hard to walk around here because its snow there, slush here” she continued. In fact, it’s been almost a week since any snow has hit the city and yet there slush and ice on sidewalks and street corners as if it stormed yesterday.

Gina Deseppie, a employee at a Greenwich village boutique called The Family Jewels is also frustrated with the snow covering the city. “Our store has been extremely slow and obviously the weather has something to do with that” she says. “The store is so small that we thrive on locals to make business. When they’re not buying, we aren’t earning” she adds.

With the groundhog seeing its shadow earlier this month, New York City residents might just have to deal with the snow for at least six more weeks.

Lang Coffee House Cabaret

New York- The first Spring Coffee House Cabaret for the New School was held on Thursday February 18th, and received a warm welcome from New School students, as performers showed off a collage of performing arts as well as enjoying free coffee, and offered a casual performance for student members of the New School.

The Cabaret allowed students from the New School a chance to perform their various mediums; this springs including everything from dance to poetry. The event took place in Wollman Hall, a very intimate space in which viewers of the show were able to “join the community in a casual coffee house atmosphere.” The casualness was not however in the performers themselves.

Each entertainer showed a well-rehearsed performance that took form: from dance to songwriters, poetry to guitar. In particular a guitar trio made up of jazz students from the New School, preformed a two-song set, with both an original song and a compilation of There Will Never Be Another You. “This was my first time playing at one of these,” said Joel Kruzie, bassist for the trio, “it’s a no pressure performance, with a lot of different acts.” This was the overwhelming response from both performers and views alike. “It was really cool to see other student from my school performing and have free coffee,” said Andrew Lenec, a first time attendee of the Cabaret and a freshman at the New School.

Other than the scheduled performances, the Cabaret was a place to talk before and after the show, as well as for unscheduled acts that formed after the event finished. Provided for everyone present was also free coffee, which added to the viewers enjoyment. The New School Coffee House Cabaret is a monthly event and is looking forward to many more successful nights of music and art.

Student Threatened with False Fine

On Friday, February 12^th, a New School University student was informed by a security guard that she would be fined for entering Arnold Hall without her New School ID, despite being let in by the very security guard himself.

The student, Cameron Sheedy of the Fine Arts department at Parsons, had repeatedly tried to enter the building without her ID., which she had previously lost but was reluctant to replace due to the $25 fee incurred for getting a new I.D.

When trying to enter without her ID, the security guard was initially very upset with her, Sheedy recalls. “I couldn’t stop smiling. I just didn’t feel like being serious. So he got pissed. After class I tried to apologize, but he wouldn’t get off the phone. Then he said security’s going to get in touch with me. He said they’re going to start doling out fines for students that keep trying to come in without ID. When I asked if I would get one, he said ‘Ohhh yeaaah. Ohhhh yeaaah.’”

Sheedy says she knew she would have to get a new ID. eventually, but was completely unaware of the possibility of being fined for not having one.

In fact, no one at the New School seems to be aware of this fine.

A different security guard at the East 16^th Street building was completely unaware of any such punishment. Upon hearing a student was threatened with a fine, he said it was “messed up” and that the security guard involved must have “been trying to act tough with the student”. Despite being told his quotes would not be used in any form of publication, the guard refused to give his name, adding that “he likes his job”.

The head of security at the New School, Thomas Iliceto, freely responded to questions about security procedures, stating that “There are no penalties/fines for entering without ID,” and that “The only time a student would have to pay a fee is to replace a lost ID card. We strongly encourage all New School staff, faculty and students to carry their New School ID to facilitate entry into university buildings.”

For some students, remembering their IDs is easier said than done. A small piece of plastic is easily lost in these days of mass consumption and obsession with “things”, as many can attest to. Out of a group of 5 students at Eugene Lang College, 3 had lost their IDs at least once.

A man from the New School Campus Card office said the reason for the amount charged to students to replace their ID is that, “If it was just a dollar, people would lose their IDs all the time. Each time we make a new ID for you we have to change information in several different systems.” Although the information he gave lacked any particular controversy, upon being asked for his name he said,  “This is where I get in trouble,” he said. “It always ends up in that school newspaper!” 

PARSONS RESPONDS TO MCQUEEN'S DEATH

Parsons College Campus, New York City – On February 11th well known British designer was found dead in his home in London, sending instant shockwaves throughout the Parsons Fashion community.

Born in London in 1969, Lee Alexander McQueen attended Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design where he received his Masters degree in fashion design. He was discovered by international style icon, Isabella Blow, who purchased his entire graduating collection. McQueen would soon be known for his outrageous yet influential designs throughout the fashion world.

For the community at New York City’s Parson’s New School for Design, a school credited for having notable alumni such as Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang, his death came as a complete and tragic surprise. Amy Brueck, a student at Parsons, notes that his contributions to the fashion world go far beyond the music videos or red carpet outfits seen on artists like Lady Gaga. “Hearing about anyone's death these days is at first unbelievable. The immediate reaction is to google until you find enough sources to support it,” she explained. “I was in Lab class watching Korean music videos when my friend Eli got a text message from his friend that Alexander McQueen had died. After looking it up we found it to be true and were all in shock. It was eerie.”

Lashaia Artis, also a fashion student at Parsons, was particularly heartbroken by the sudden news. Like McQueen, Artis approaches her fashion designs with the intention of creating art that not only impacts those around her but also is limitless in its form. She says that his death brought up personal concern in regards to what the fashion industry can do to a person, despite their fame and fortune. “This was a lesson for me,” Artis says, “to always stay humble, keep god in mind and make sure I am happy deep down inside.”

Parsons student Samuel Forney added that he too felt confusion about McQueen’s suicide. “When I heard McQueen died, I couldn't believe it. Suicide?? How horrible was his life? Being one of the top designers in the world,” he questioned. “Everyone in the fashion world respected him so much. I was so sad. He was one of my idols.”

There are many others like Forney who would agree that McQueen was likely one of the most talented designers of present day. His recent death however surprising, does question how much pressure is placed on today’s designers. Still it is difficult to disregard the death of his mother days before the incident or Isabella Blow’s death – also a suicide – in 2007. Either way McQueen’s suicide is simply tragic and has clearly impacted the fashion community at Parsons School for Design. “As for someone who has to replace him and keep that aesthetic going the way he had it,” Artis continued, “for me that seems impossible, no one will ever to mimic McQueen.”

Elevator Debacle Brings Community Together

New York- New School dorm residents have been affected by an ongoing broken elevator in the 20th street dorm, the elevator in question has a history of glitches, the problem with the elevator has caused several students to become trapped inside on different occasions, ultimately fostering a sense of community among afflicted students and staff.
Many are protective of the community being fostered at 20th street, so much so that when asked to comment on the elevator problem, RA Ashley, declined to comment because the problem, to her is minute and inconsequential among the many positive activities being encouraged among the students. However, it seems that the elevator, with its quirks and troubles may have brought the community closer together.
Talking with Hayley Theisen, an office assistant at the residence hall, as well as one of the students stuck in the elevator, it becomes clear that bitterness about being jammed for an hour in a metal box is about the farthest emotion she feels. Theisen explains that several staff and students stood on the other side of the elevator to keep her company for nearly an hour while the problem was being fixed. She says, “It was sweet in an unfortunate kind of way”.
When asked if she was traumatized by the event, she is honest in saying that, “I did not take the elevator for about 4 weeks, but I don’t have nightmares!” Theisen’s only musing about better procedure materializes when asked if she was debriefed after the event, “I was told nothing,” she says, “I know the maintenance crew and I knew they wouldn’t let me die, but it may have been different if I didn’t work here.” The building does a wonderful job keeping the students informed and aware of fire precautions and risks, but the elevator seems to be an issue much more shrouded in mystery.
The maintenance crew, though generally forthcoming, is not allowed to speak about the technical issues in the elevator. Upon calling the company ThyssenKrupp, I talked with a supervisor to the Manhattan branch, Dan, who withheld his last name, gave me the call sheet information. “ I can’t tell you a lot, but from what I have here, it looks like all the incidents are happening at night, which means something”.
Dan suggested, that this problem could either be triggered by a change in power in the building or, a more likely theory that the doors are being held open too often. Dan’s final prognosis of the elevator debacle came down to mechanics, “It’s a machine, sometimes one piece is disrupted and it takes a while to figure out what is wrong”.
Michael Corbett, the 20th street Residence Hall Director commented, “thankfully the complaints have been minimal”. He is secure in his opinion that the staff and security of 20th street is made up of wonderful people, and whenever there is a problem, everybody reacts promptly and correctly. “The elevator is not without problems, but when there is an issue everyone is aware and alert”. When questioned about the fact that there is a Facebook group from 2006, titled F**k The 20th Street Elevator, he acknowledges its presence on the web, and says, “at least there are only 7 members, and no one has joined since 2007!” Sarah Westervelt, a member of the 2006 group says, “I can't believe the elevator at 20th street is still acting up. Yes, it used to have problems all the time, and people did get trapped in there… I don’t think anyone tampered with it on purpose, I think its just a bad elevator.”
Perhaps the best read of the situation can be realized through the support from residents. The students of 20th street are overwhelmingly supportive as of late and understand the issues with the elevator to be only a minor obstacle in their day-to-day lives. Freshman Aaron Sprat says that he, “Hardly ever takes the elevator, but-I would like it to be more of an enjoyable experience when I do.” And Amanda Clark, a sophomore at Lang says, “I would think that maybe the checkups on the elevator should be more routine, considering they've stalled several times already this semester. But, I feel like an elevator breaking down isn’t terribly uncommon. It's inconvenient, certainly, but they're always fixed pretty promptly.”

News Article: NJ Transit Commuters Get Discount, Others Do Not

In an email dated February 12th, 2010, The New School announced a partnership with New Jersey Transit that would offer full-time students (undergraduate and graduate) a 25% discount on monthly NJ Transit passes for rail, bus, or light rail service when they enroll online through the Quik-Tik Program. While this is undoubtedly a huge relief to those commuting from New Jersey, it still leaves students from Connecticut or elsewhere in New York wondering where, exactly, their discount lies.

The issue of commuting to the New School is a nebulous one that very few people acknowledge or talk about openly. The school is located in Manhattan, which means that students can not only commute from surrounding boroughs but also from adjacent states – Connecticut, New Jersey and elsewhere in New York state, specifically.

Carl Frisk, a Product Design major at Parsons, commutes from Fairfield, Connecticut every day for school. The monthly pass sets him back $308. This is considerably more than the $89 monthly subway cost. When asked if the school should provide a discount he says, "Yes I do. If they would even acknowledge that there are commuters coming in from out of state, that would be great, but to offer a discount would be even better."

Frisk points to unrealistic expectations placed on commuting students, when professors regularly ask for their students to visit local museums or take part in Manhattan-based activities, unaware (or uncaring) if said activities require an expensive and time-consuming event. If you don't have a monthly and are commuting back and forth from Fairfield during "peak" hours it costs $28 dollars and takes about an hour and fifteen minutes each way.

I asked professor Michael Pettinger of Eugene Lang if he had encountered any problems with commuting students. " I know of one student who takes the PATH train in the morning (and says he thinks it's more reliable than the subway), so I haven't had to cut him any slack. On the other hand, I've had students tell me some real horror stories about getting to school on NYC transit. The L Train, I'm told, is particularly notorious..."

It's true that often times commuting students are more on time and miss fewer classes than those who live in the same neighborhood, because the commitment (both time and energy-wise) is greater.

Still, the question remains why the school would offer up discounts to New Jersey Transit commuters and not Metro North commuters.

"This is an offer by New Jersey Transit. I have not heard of any discount program offered by Metro North," said Susan Heske, The New School's Senior Director of Communications and Special Projects for Student Services. When asked why the school itself doesn't offer the discount, instead of waiting for the notoriously ineffectual and cash-strapped Metro North to step up to the plate, she replied, " In some respect, unless a student lives within walking or biking distance to campus, then one could come to the conclusion that the majority of students are commuting by NJ Transit, Path, Metro North, subway, or driving."

Heske also said they didn't have specific numbers on out-of-state commuters or numbers regarding those who have utilized the New Jersey Transit offer. Users of Metro North are still waiting for a similar deal for their costly and timely commute although they may be waiting for this particular train for a while. Additional reporting by Daisy Geoffrey.

Study Abroad Meetings at Eugene Lang Change to Group-.2

   Eugene Lang College Campus- New York City- The Study Abroad office sent out an email February 12th announcing the beginning of group meetings in place of individual meetings to discuss any questions that students may have about study abroad for any time from summer 2010 to spring 2011.  This change has risen some anxiety in the student body about the amount of support they are receiving from the study abroad office.

            Because Study Abroad is so specific to individual needs, this new form of meeting is new in the Eugene Lang community.  Previously meetings had been planned individually through email.  Study abroad advisor Kimberly is also the junior class’ Academic Advisor.  She said that the change is intended to “handle the volume [of students] who want to study abroad.”  She added that: “many students have the same questions in regards to study abroad.”  Many of the questions people ask in the meetings, they can find through other sources.  However, Kimberly insists that the meetings are important for the students to hear what they may be reading on websites.  "I'm the same way" Ms. Foote said that she intends to “voice [their answers] so they stick.”

The spring semester is the time of year when many students begin to make study abroad plans.    

            Though the change is helpful for Kimberly full schedule, some students may find it disconcerting.  The study abroad process for a student at Eugene Lang is done mostly independently.  Anna, 19, an Urban Studies sophomore at Eugene Lang who was thinking about studying abroad in the fall 2010 semester said that the study abroad process is “just as independent as everything else at Lang.” Eugene Lang is known for its motivated and independent student body.  Though, many of the students still feel as though they need direction and support,  Anna added: “Sometimes it’s nice to have someone helping you.” 

Eugene Lang does not offer much support for students when comparing its Study Abroad office with those of other liberal arts colleges.  Sophomore at Weslyan University, Carina, 20, did not think that group meetings would be helpful.  “[Weslyan has] an office devoted to study abroad with two directors, one advisor and four students, all of whose job it is to help you with questions” Carina said.  As a student planning to study abroad in France next year she added that she had her own personal questions, and came into their open office hours “a handful of times.”  To have her those questions answered.

Though there are only about 900 students enrolled at Eugene Lang College and Weslyan University has about 2,700, there are certain questions that students feel they need to ask individually.  Almost 50% of Weslyan students study abroad.  While the number of Weslyan students who study abroad are much more than that of Eugene Lang, the individual attention is important and could decrees the number of Lang students’ motivated to study abroad. 

With the support of the students in the meetings the change could encourage more questions and more answers.  This idea could be influential to both the school’s reputation as supporting independent and critical thinkers.  In response to the group meetings Anna said that, “[the other students] may ask questions you didn’t think of.”

High Heels in Winter

Wintertime in New York City doesn’t seem to stop young women from wearing nothing but leggings and a skirt through the slushy winter mess. It seems the cost for looking good in the winter is the inability to feel ones legs. Coming from Maine I’m used to seeing everyone including the “fashionable” people wearing layers of clothing under their jeans, and always a heavy winter coat. This being my first winter in New York I was surprised to see that the way people dressed, primarily woman, did not change significantly even when the streets were cluttered with snow.

I’ve never really walked in high heels, but I’m willing to bet that walking in the snow with even just a three inch heel can’t be easy, and is most likely fairly dangerous. Still I see girls who are presumably going out to a club or even just walking around in heels and skirts. The higher standard of fashion seems to be outweighing the need to be warm or to walk comfortably. It is unacceptable it seems to go out side ones home without looking your best at almost any cost. This may not be the case with everyone in the city but it seems a vast majority of people living here follow the rule that you just don’t wear sweatpants outside. People seem to have this idea that you have to dress a little better if you live in the city, and frankly I don’t object to this idea. The cities population as a whole really does look better.

I’m not what you would call a fashionable person. I try to follow the dress code of wearing what’s comfortable, without being a complete slob. This is probably the result of growing up in a small town in Maine where Carhartt is considered a designer brand. The city however forces me to dress a little better. I came back to Maine during winter break wearing what would have been a normal day’s outfit in the city and met a frenzy of laughs saying, “the cities changed you man, you look like your going out on the town.” You simply don’t wear tighter jeans and a nice shirt to ride around in a truck. However at home I felt the sense again that you could wear whatever you wanted and it didn’t really matter. The city however has rules.

I remember one night that I had gone “out on the town” and had been persuaded to go to a salsa club of some sort. Upon coming to the entrance of the club the bouncer looked down at my shoes, seeing that I was wearing sneakers, said that I wouldn’t be allowed in without dress shoes. I was in shock that the shoes I wore were what were preventing me from entering. I had on a nice shirt, decent pants, and even a damn scarf. The club from the outside didn’t even appear to be all that nice, but still they strongly enforced a no sneakers rule. I was embarrassed by this refusal of entry and left the club with the other two unlucky guys who wore sneakers. This unofficial law would seem to be a contributing factor to why woman even in winter wear heels. If they, heaven forbid, wore something that they could walk through snow in, they surely wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

Collectors and Their Collections

I recently spent some time walking through a flea market in Chelsea. My urge was to pick up every old picture, every lost relic of the year before and make it my own. This led me to think about the collector's need to collect and display or organize things according to their own satisfaction. The compulsion to collect crosses over into many aspects of society, the best example I could think of was the museum and the ability for an audience to view what a collector thinks is important. Also, a key part of museums and their collections is what they choose not to display and what they choose to downplay. The concept that most interests me when thinking and engaging in discussions of the museum as alive or dead, is the collection and the collected. The questions posed create a conflict between the institution and the art itself that is being displayed.
The shell of an industrial institution, turned art piece or a reflection of its past has become a part of Chelsea recently, with the opening of the Highline, a railroad track turned park that runs along 9th avenue. The Highline is just one example throughout this city of the ways people collect, display, and re-use. However, it seems that museums in this instance, are not as receptive to their public. The public needs to feel the beauty of the art housed inside the museum, instead of simply viewing it.
My impulse to pick up every rusty screw no longer serving its purpose in a door jam, or every wheel bearing no longer aiding the rotation and weight of an Escalade parked nearby is my collection. My collection is a collection of the industrial that is no longer in business. But is that what a museums collection is? Is a museums collection based on the art that has become of no use to anyone, so it is displayed very carefully as to preserve its dignity? I often think that my desire to collect the unused stems from my origins in Buffalo, New York, a once booming steel town, Buffalo’s steel and grain mills stand empty, but imposingly on our waterfront. My earliest memories of driving by them recall a sense that they were and still are very great, but that they are done being used for their original purpose. I was asking the same of museums. It seems as if they may be a shell of their original form and purpose, rejecting their old visions and ideology, they turn to sensationalism and business.
In my mind, the purpose of a museum is to make the viewers feel something through art. If they cannot feel anything, the institution of the museum is no longer affective.
When I walk into a museum, I feel its history. What does the collection mean to those viewers who are experiencing the museum without knowledge of its history. When I work at the Rubin Museum of Art, it is mesmerizing to me the ease with which people are attracted to these religious and historical relics of the Himalayas. I have always been drawn to them because I knew there was a story behind each symbol, position and framing of the art. The wall text does not do the art justice in the least, and the only way the general viewer is able to access this information is through a tour or if you have outside knowledge. The access of museums to the public, the openness of the collection is sometimes blocked by the exclusiveness. No experience can be had because nothing is provided to the viewer.
Is the collection of the museum and its institutions and politics something that is realized over time? So it is not immediately available? I think that museums should be a conveyance for people to have experiences with art. The exclusion of pieces or people within a collection is to the detriment of the viewer, and ultimately the museum as alive. Because if there is no experience with a living thing, no tangible relationship, the living thing will die.

A Life Battle

After thirteen years of remission, Bridget Frosina was apparently cured for good, yet a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her something was wrong.

Frosina was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at age 3 and underwent treatment for three years with positive results. Her body showed no trace of leukemic blasts in her bone marrow and her blood cells had a normal presence. Nevertheless, at age 16, the symptoms of her cancer reemerged. Upon experiencing back pains, cold sores, and increased amounts of acne, she started routine check-ups with her doctor. An MRI detected an increased density in her back area, which her doctor claimed was normal in childhood cancer patients. Yet despite his comforting words, Bridget knew better. “I looked at my mom and said no, it's back. And like any mother she told me to stop thinking like that. Little did she know, I was right”, recounts Frosina.

According to Karen Seiter, MD at NY Medical College, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in children. It is a malignant disease of the bone marrow, in which immature white blood cells are overproduced. The word acute refers to the short span in which the disease acts- it is fatal even after a few weeks of not being treated. After five years of remission from this cancer, a relapse is uncommon. Yet Frosina is the first person to have exactly the same type of cancer after thirteen years of clean health.

In December of 2006, Frosina started a new type of chemotherapy, this time with the use of corticoidsteroids. The new type of treatment was an utter foe to her self-esteem and teenage vanity. Her hair loss, bloating, and weight gain due to the chemotherapy and steroids, naturally triggered a vast amount of self-consciousness. “The first day everyone found out and visited me I sat in my hospital bed and straightened my [remaining] hair and put on make-up and bargained with the nurses to take the IV's out for so long so that my friends wouldn't see me as the sick girl”, tells Frosina. Yet between the side effects of the chemo and the high fevers, which left her septic for up to five days, it was quite a challenge to keep the appearance of not being sick. Rather than pretending, Frosina decided to take control.

Iliana Begetis, Frosina’s best friend recounts the first time she started experiencing hair loss, “She was sitting watching tv and as she combed her fingers through her hair a lock fell. Anyone else would’ve freaked out at that very moment! Instead, Bridget just looked at the fallen lock, got up, grabbed a pair of scissors, went into the bathroom, and chopped all of her hair off.” Begetis talks about Frosina with admiration and pride. Bridget considers herself lucky for being surrounded by people who strived to keep her positive during her disease, “There were days when I just didn't want to do anything and in a way gave up because I was just so tired of dealing with everything. But my friends wouldn't let me be like that and I really believe they are the reason I was the way I was throughout the whole thing.” Yet she did not receive the same amount of support from everyone who surrounded her. Her lack of family support was what affected her the most. She received no phone calls, no letters, and absolutely no manifestations of care from neither her grandparents, her aunts, or her uncles. Yet her inner strength and desire to battle her disease, predominated over any affliction she encountered. In August of 2008, she successfully completed her chemotherapy and has been in remission ever since.

This is her story. I have shared it with you for simply one reason: this story inspires. Everything that she is today connects to her cancer survival. The pain she felt made her human and compassionate; the endurance she gained made her determined and strong; her proximity to defeat made her more eager to succeed; her storm of grief triggered a clear sky of happiness. Right now, as a sophomore at U Conn, Bridget’s main goals lie in her nursing career, living her life one day at a time, and not sweating over trivial things. Lance Armstrong, says we have two options in life: give up or fight like hell. Bridget always opts for the latter- always.

"The Happiness Project" A Personal Pursuit

The following quote by Gretchin Rubin is a been-there-done-that thought I’m sure I can share with a few people: “In that moment I realized, I wasn't as happy as I could be, and my life wasn't going to change unless I made it change.” It’s one of those jump-off points where one asks, “well, great what do I do next?” And then proceeds to make an effort or thinks something along the lines of “ I am happy, I don’t need therapy or anything, I have a good content life.”

The amount of “happiness” and “self help” there is for sale these days makes me further question the success of anti-depression pills and therapists. I’m not knocking everything about the American health care industry I’m just saying, I think that our society is so obsessed with a doctor’s exam and a prescribed diagnosis that we’ve forgotten in many ways that we can heal ourselves. Not to mention, that the answer to our problems or the cure to our illnesses may be even less known and understood by a doctor than by us.

“I decided to dedicate a year to happiness,” Gretchin Rubin blogs about the motive of her project and new book. Author of The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin is a Yale Law graduate and my newfound inspiration for the launch of my own happiness pursuit. I know, call me a biter, but I can’t help but think we’d all be a little less bitter if we spent more time focusing on what makes us happy. The Happiness Project is Rubin’s reflection on a year she spent focusing on finding her own happiness. From health, organization, attitude, spirituality, friends, family and love, Rubin dedicated a month to each new resolution. Creating her own commandments, holding herself to a daily one-sentence journal entry and keeping the whole situation light-hearted by referring to her “secrets of adulthood,” Rubin had the whole process organized into a twelve-month project.

To complement, and I’m sure to get a little self promotion in with her book, Rubin has created a website, entitled “The Happiness Project Toolbox,” where readers can start, chart and blog about their own “Happiness Projects” as well as read up on the projects of fellow bloggers. I’m not going to deny my own excitement about the whole thing, I am a self-proclaimed nerd when it comes to the self-help section of any bookstore and I do like the idea of starting my own “Happiness Project.” This is why, as of yesterday, I have joined the web community of fellow happiness seekers on happinessprojecttoolbox.com. So far I have six Personal Commandments, the two most pressing being “#5. Whatever the present is, be there,” and “#6. Sleep.” Being a noobie to the whole adult scene, I only have one “Secret of Adulthood” but I’d say it is relevant in learning how to feed myself properly: “You sure do spend a lot of money on food, so you might as well be buying the good stuff.”

Granted, my route so far in this journey to happiness is not yet as nicely charted as say, Rubin herself, but two days has given me a rough outline and like she said “every project is going to look different.” Well of course, unlike Rubin I am minus two kids, husband and apartment on The Upper East Side; but when it comes to having the desire to acknowledge every moment of happiness there is and create many more, I am right there. I wish I could get my roommates in on this project. We could start by the self-responsibility of removing the film of food that acquires on the stovetop daily, and then we could all bond over the experience of not waking up to each other’s filth.

I’m excited to see how my progress pans out. My focus for this month is my health: mental, physical and spiritual. I mean sure, I’d love to wake up and look like Beyonce like every other women, but I’d settle for waking up feeling like Toni the tiger over a bowl of frosted flakes, and that’s why I’m starting where all good things do: bed. My focus this week: sleep.

LOEB DORM ROOM SEES INCREASE IN RODENTS

Residents nervous about large infestation

At around 11:00 P.M. on Monday night, a few Loeb Hall residents discovered, caught, and released an additional mouse to their previous rodent infestation earlier this winter.

After returning from her 2D Integrated Design class, Nikki Jean Walker, a resident of Loeb Hall dorm room 7D-2, noticed the same mouse that ran rampant through her dorm room before Thanksgiving break.

“It was dragging its back leg behind it because it was broken,” said Walker.

Walker texted her roommate, Kierra Ray, to notify her about their injured visitor.

“I [told her] I fell in love with the mouse because its leg was broken and it was just chillin’ next to me,” said Walker.

Ray immediately inquired about the mouse after coming back to the dorm when she got off of work.

Soon after, an uninjured mouse emerged from under the refrigerator and ran across the kitchen floor.

“I figured it was a different mouse because it was running faster and its leg was not broken.”

After calming down after their initial shock, Walker and Ray watched the mouse calmly walk around and stop to rest on a dishtowel that was on the floor. Walker requested the assistance of Tyler Howorth, a Loeb Hall resident on the same floor to pick up the mouse and put it an a small empty trashcan.

Pavla Kostich, a resident of Loeb Hall who resides on the ninth floor and regularly visits Walker’s room remembers seeing the mouse a few times while conversing in the kitchen.

“It was so cute. It just scattered around the floor and Nikki was so grossed out,” said Kostich.

The two Loeb Hall residents are now worried about additional mice that may be present in their room and kitchen.

“I’m kind of lying to myself and telling myself that it was the same mouse,” said Walker.

However, it actually was a different mouse. Both Walker and Ray believe that the mouse was a newborn because of its small size. They think that the initial mouse may have given birth.

Emily Butter, a Loeb hall resident who lives across the hall from Walker and Ray is concerned about the rodent infestation spreading to her room.

“I wouldn’t as scared as I would be annoyed,” said Butter.

If mice do appear in Butter’s room, she said she wouldn’t use traps because of her sympathy for animals.

 Walker and Ray felt the same way. After Howorth placed the mouse inside the trashcan, Ray and Kostich released the mouse outside on the sidewalk. They left the trashcan outside with a small bit of cheese.

“We didn’t want it to be too cold or hungry,” said Kostich.

However, Walker was not as compassionate as Ray and Kostich.

“I forgot about it as soon as they took it outside,” said Walker.

New School Hip-Hop

New York- New School student Jackson T. Whalan also known as “The Apsosoul” is currently writing and producing a new concept album that provides a message of peace through the genre of conscious hip-hop. Whalan plans to earn enough money through outside sponsors to fund the musical project in its entirety.
With already $1000 of the $8,700 Jackson hopes to have the album completed by March 31st. Whalan has been using multiple forms of media to promote his album, posting updates on donations, new songs, as well as video’s explaining the albums concepts of peace. Robby Baier says, “the donations keep coming and I’m excited to see the finished results.” With the deadline for the album nearing Whalan has chose not to focus on playing at venues but rather on recording the songs themselves. However Jackson recently preformed at “The Cypher” taking place at Club 7 in Berkshire Massachusetts, but otherwise has limited his performances.
This musical endeavor has been an ongoing project of both writing and recording songs since January 2010 with the help Robby Baier. Baier is a producer at Soultube Music and helps with the production and marketing of the album, as well as “many other creative souls who make music as a means for peace, empowerment, and consciousness.” The album “Now” will as Whalan says hope to “raise awareness of peace lying in the moment, spreading the message that hip-hop can be a means of spreading awareness of the positive and a way for people to come together.” The album will be music that anyone can listen to without prior knowledge of hip-hop, and should reach a wide demographic of listeners.
The Aposoul has been producing and performing music since the age of 14, growing up in Berkshire Massachusetts. He is currently living in New York City and studying at the New School. He plans to incorporate the new knowledge he has gained through his studies into his music. The city has also been a large contributing factor in providing vast opportunities to have his music heard, as well as providing him with inspiration and motivation. He has previously played at venues such as the Nuyorican Café on the Lower East Side, the United Nations National Day of Peace conference, as well as open mics at the New School. Jackson plans to keep performing at venues around the city and spreading words of peace once the album is finished, but right now he is “focusing on taking the album from an idea to a reality.”

Nursery Schoolers Explore Rainforest

By Kimberly Lightbody

On Tuesday, February 9th, the Mamaroneck Community Nursery School will hold a Rainforest Expo in their auditorium, culminating a three-week joint class project which emphasized the school’s “learning through process” mentality. The exhibition, which will showcase the students’ artwork, is the result of a collaborative effort between two classes in the nursery school, with children ranging from those who just turned four years-old to those who will soon be five.

During the rainforest unit, students worked on tasks such as decorating rainforest trees (made out of eight-foot carpet rolls), stuffing paper bags to make monkeys, cutting paper plates to make snakes, and creating leaves with finger paint. This gave the the kids a chance to learn about the rainforest in a fun and creative manner.

“The nursery school’s whole premise is learning through play and learning through process,” says Jeanne Lightbody, who teaches one of the participating classes. “That’s why we don’t do worksheets and we don’t do rote learning. The kids don’t know they’re learning and that’s why it’s so great.”

Indeed, rather than presenting the children with flashcards or memorization exercises, teachers at MCNS try to engage their students with activities and get them excited about the topic at hand. Two weeks ago, a woman came in from the local nature center with live animals to show the kids, including red-eye tree frogs and a boa constrictor, both of which were discussed during the rainforest unit. Such events make the rainforest seem more real and exciting to the kids, really sparking their interest.

“He talks about it all the time; everyday he comes home and talks about the different animals they’ve been making,” remarked a student’s mother. “He’s very excited about it. He keeps asking me ‘How many days until the expo?’”

Another benefit of the nursery school’s rainforest project is that it focuses on something that the kids have little experience with. Both parents and teachers have noted that the rainforest is something exotic and new for the children; it broadens their world perspective and increases their knowledge about different sorts of plants and animals.

“It’s a different topic, it’s different than superheroes or outerspace or dinosaurs, which he’s just naturally interested in and has talked about, so it’s a different topic for him, it’s good,” commented the mother.

Throughout the past few weeks, the students have learned about the rainforest’s different canopy layers, about what kinds of animals live there and what they eat, and about which kinds of plants can be found there.

“We’ve read a ton of books about the rainforest, we sing rainforest songs-- we do a lot with it,” said Ms. Lightbody.

This combination of different, interactive learning techniques aides the school’s mission. Kids become enthralled with the rainforest and proud of their work and achievements.

At the final exhibition, all of the students’ crafts will be hung up and displayed amongst the rainforest trees to create a sort of homemade rainforest for parents and childrens to see.

“That’s when they get really excited about it,” said Ms. Lightbody. “‘Cause it’s right there, they can see it all hanging: eight-foot trees, and snakes, and frogs. They’re very proud. And they love to bring their families in to see it.”

WBAI Talk Show Host receives "Commie Call"

-New York City

“Go to Cuba where you belong, you Commie” were the words uttered to host Matthew LaClair this past Sunday during a call-in special on Equal Time for Freethought on WBAI 99.5FM regarding President Obama’s State of the Union Address, leaving some listeners pondering why the caller mentioned Communism.

The call aired live approximately ten minutes from the start of the show, following a discussion between Mr. LaClair and a caller concerning the distrust of politicians expressed by many Americans, in addition to concerns that the accuracy of numerous media sources in the United States is questionable. After the caller made his brief statement, the call disconnected. Mr. LaClair responded with a laugh, stating “Those are the most amusing calls we get, and I (have) to say, it certainly isn’t the first time,” referencing similar calls received by Equal Time for Freethought.

Some listeners thought that Mr. LaClair or his studio engineer had cut the caller’s comment short, thereby not allowing the caller to explain himself further. However, this concern was addressed during the show when a caller stated “I think you should let him talk,” to which Mr. LaClair responded “I agree with you” and continued to explain “We did not cut him off, he hung up the phone.”

Barry Seidman, producer of Equal Time for Freethought, commented after the show regarding the call. “During this show, Mr. LaClair was more centrist than the typical Equal Time for Freethought listener and certainly further away from the left than the average WBAI listener.”

Britney Kaiser, a listener from Sacramento, California echoed a similar feeling. “I have read many definitions of the term communism, and nothing said by him (Mr. LaClair) or any of the other callers had anything to do with communism.” Ms. Kaiser went further to state that “in fact, he at times seemed to be defending capitalism.”

The term Commie references communism as a whole, which the Encyclopedia Britannica defines as “the political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production and the natural resources of society.”

While Mr. LaClair could not shed light on the caller’s identity, Mr. Seidman has encountered this caller in the past. “There is a history with this caller. This is a person who has taken the position that WBAI is un-American and anti-Capitalist. Even when we haven’t addressed issues that relate at all to communism, he has called in to make similar statements.”

Equal Time for Freethought’s introduction explains the central theme of the show, which focuses on “Humanism, which is informed by and founded on scientific naturalism.” Issues discussed on the show include education, politics, science and more.

Mr. Seidman, talking about the show in relation to this caller, stated “We’re always interested in discussing different points of view. We want callers who disagree with us to have open dialogue with us, unlike this caller’s actions.”

Yet Another New Business Goal for Pedro Espinoza

Lima, Peru. This past January, Pedro Espinoza Brinkmann, a Peruvian artist and designer has embarked in an unexpected business in the construction industry upon a close friend’s persuade. His close friend, and now partner, Alfredo Chang, talked him into investing in the construction of an 8-floor building in a 400-meters-squared terrain located in the neighborhood of San Borja. With this investment in mind, they have formed the company Ocho Rios, named after the Amazonian location in which they first discussed their business, along with four other partners.

“I know nothing about the construction world”, confesses Pedro. “When Alfredo first proposed the idea to me I immediately desisted from it. First of all, I didn’t have the money and, moreover, I would be going into this business with my eyes closed.”

Pedro Espinoza graduated from The Catholic University of Lima with a degree on Economics and a masters in Business Administration, yet it was not until years later that he started pursuing his genuine passion for art. In 2001 he formed the small company Arte Qollana, in which he works with various different artists in the manufacturing of authentic Peruvian art pieces. He felt that the shift from economics to art would be the first and last dramatic change in his life. Nevertheless, Alfredo was determined to make him his partner in his newly envisioned business. “I offered to lend him the money for this investment. I knew Pedro had no experience in construction, but he knows a thing or two about managing a company”, Alfredo recounts.

Pedro trusted Alfredo’s instincts. “I knew his insistence was not going to be a vain attempt. That man knows how to do business more than anyone I know. I could not reject his offer. In contrast to the US, Peru’s economy has not been severely affected by the global economic crisis. Lima has recently shown a significant growth in the construction industry”, he says. According to the UN’s Human Development Report of 2009, Peru is an emerging economy where businesses are flourishing. This is reflected on its steady decrease in poverty levels since 2004.

The construction of Ocho Rios’ first building is programmed to begin in approximately thirty to forty days after the completion of all their legal paperwork with the contractors. The edifice, designed for a middle-class population, will have sixteen comfortable apartments and two underground parking levels. The company plans to build not only more homes in the future, but also offices among other construction projects. The partners have high expectations for their business. Surely, this is yet another dramatic modification in Pedro Espinoza Brinkmann’s career. Hopefully, his economic and artistic abilities will work hand-in-hand in all his construction projects.

Date Turns to Disaster in Stairwell Break-Up

           On the evening of February 1^st, Cameron Sheedy’s boyfriend ended their relationship in the stairwell of her apartment building, deciding after six months of dating that he did not in fact want a girlfriend. Francis’s decision to end their relationship came as a complete surprise to both Cameron and those with knowledge of the situation.

            The two had planned on having dinner at Momofuko Noodle Bar, and then spending the evening in, a pleasant plan for couples in New York City’s bitter weather of late. Plans first went astray when Francis arrived at 8:45 p.m. and claimed to not be hungry. Over an hour went by of awkward conversation between Francis, Cameron, and her roommate when Francis asked Cameron if they could have a word in the hall. Fearful and apprehensive, Cameron proceeded to the hall, and stood on the step looking up at Francis as he broke the news.

            Afterwards, Cameron tried to recount the situation, “All I can clearly remember him saying is, ‘I don’t feel right about us.’ After that I can’t remember anything exact, except something about our relationship never going anywhere. He kept saying he didn’t want a girlfriend. It’s all blurry, all I could do was nod and say ‘OK’”.

            For surrounding apartments, however, the situation was not so hard hear. The stairwell in the building is acoustic heaven, making the entire conversation audible to the neighbors. The resident of the adjacent apartment were taken aback when they realized what was happening in the hall, having seen Cameron just before her date was about to start, noting her great excitement to see Francis.

“She was so sweet and excited, I told her to have fun and not to be nervous,” neighbor Jay recalls, “I can’t believe this is what happened.”

“You should have worn a skirt and those heels” neighbor Will less than helpfully suggested.

Although Cameron was shocked and hurt, she remained positive and has faith that with help from friends she will soon recover.

The evening’s events were rather timely, as Cameron and her roommate had just finalized plans for their first annual “Suckentines Day: Party in the USA”, a party to spite the pressures of upcoming Valentines Day. The festivities are set to commence late on Saturday, February 13^th, and to continue through the weekend. The roommates hope to overcome society’s disregard for the benefits of being without significant others by having endless amounts of singleton fun.

“Suckentines just got so much better” Cameron stated, who hopes to have all of her shifts at work covered that weekend so as to consume copious amounts of alcohol without hesitation. Since grade school young children are taught to have great expectations on this commercial holiday, often leading to desperate disappointment and regret. Valentine’s Day is often a struggle for singletons, resulting in feelings of isolation, loneliness, and disapproval by society. Some even dread the holiday year round, while others only become victim to its emotional terror once they, like Cameron, find themselves single just before its arrival.