As junior year rolls around, I notice many a friend packing their bags for some of the most exotic parts of the world, including but not limited to Chile, Paris, Senegal, Saint Pete, Buenos Aires, and London. And what better way to chronicle such adventures than through a blog? Witty titles such as Mi Vida Como Una Madrilena (My Life as a Madrid-ian by Kristen), Из России с Любовью (From Russia with Love by Danielle), and of course, Leopard in Leningrad all highlight the adventurous experiences of studying abroad. Unfortunately this leaves the resident student- namely, me- feeling left out. Here is my tribute to life as a aborigine.
Adventures: I may not be overseas, but I did kayak down the Potomac the other day with my Dad. On a Lewis-and-Clarkian expedition, we sailed about .3 miles downriver to the Kennedy museum.
New Food: I'm seriously considering eliminating my meal plan entirely. Hello Annie's, generic angel hair pasta, and English muffin-egg n cheese sandwiches.
Cultural Immersion: My roommate, Morgan, had her entire extended family over for dinner Friday night. Days later, the apartment still reeks of Shabbat dinner.
Because I'm so busy exploring this not unfamiliar territory, it'll be unlikely I post again for some time. Do call me (country code 011 + 860 + 810 +0885) to catch up!
Ciao,
Earl
Monday, September 6, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Oh, hipsters...
(as seen in the joke issue of The Echo)
Admissions strives for diversity, recruits more hipsters
“What this school needs is more diversity,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and Alternative Culture Expert Parker Beverage said. “There are too many polos, too many biology majors…and too few existential conversations.” To fix this problem, the College’s Admissions Department hopes to expand a group that is largely underrepresented on campus: hipsters.
According to urbandictionary.com, hipsters comprise “a subculture of men and women that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity and witty banter,” and the College feels that these qualities would greatly increase the intellectual level of the student body. Students that use words like capitalism, nihilism, romanticism and any other –ism in everyday conversation “will surely spark meaningful discussion and debate in class” Beverage said.
Furthermore, “the College’s academics must keep up with the changing times,” Beverage said, and in a world where Britney Spears is mundane and Lady Gaga is revolutionary, “hipsters reflect a new generation of thought.” Prestigious universities like Brown and Columbia already boast large skinny-jeans-wearing populations, “and it is about time that Colby joined their ranks” Beverage said.
Beverage happily noted the small but loyal contingent of students that smoke outside the Street in between classes and eat in Foss, even on weekends. “But we can do better than this,” he said. He is optimistic that the College will be able to attract more hipsters despite its non-urban setting. “We may be hours away from an Urban Outfitters,” he said, “but Ken-a-set is right down the street. And everyone knows that hipsters prefer authentic vintage clothing.”
Nevertheless, the College will take certain measures to make the Hill more appealing to hipsters. It plans to expand the chai tea collection in the dining halls, limit the music played in Pulver to obscure techno and add more courses like “Neo-Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism” to the curriculum.
To easier identify hipsters in the application process, the College has also added a new component to the supplemental application. “It now includes a checklist,” Beverage said, on which students denote whether or not they wear thick-rimmed glasses, are vegan, like Andy Warhol, worship Kerouac…etc.
Just because someone owns a pair of Ray-Bans does not he or she is a hipster, however. To avoid false identification, the last question on the checklist asks: are you a hipster? “This is where we will weed out all of the poseurs— because a true hipster would never answer yes,” Beverage explains.
The College’s interviewers have also been trained to pick out certain style, mannerisms and personality traits associated with hipsters. “When I am interviewing a prospective student,” Admissions Interviewer and Expert Hipster Identifier Cathy Latvis said, “first I note what they are wearing. Does it look like something a homeless man on the streets of Manhattan in the 1960’s might have worn? If so, then they are off to a good start,” she said.
“But not all people who dress like hipsters are actually alternative,” Latvis warned. “Which is why I pay attention to more subtle details. How often do they brush their side bangs out of their eyes? How many times do they refer to something as ‘ironic’? Sometimes I even casually slip in a quote from a Wes Anderson movie to see if they get the reference,” she said.
Those prospective students with the most number of yes’s (yet who don’t self-identify as hipsters) in the supplemental application checklist and display the most hipster qualities in interviews will be given priority in Admissions.
The College will implement these changes for the College’s Class of 2015, and it looks forward to the day when homemade sneakers outnumber Sperry’s on campus. “When I can walk down Frat Row and smell nothing but clove cigarettes,” Beverage said, “I’ll know we have accomplished our goal.”
Peace,
Rocky
Admissions strives for diversity, recruits more hipsters
“What this school needs is more diversity,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and Alternative Culture Expert Parker Beverage said. “There are too many polos, too many biology majors…and too few existential conversations.” To fix this problem, the College’s Admissions Department hopes to expand a group that is largely underrepresented on campus: hipsters.
According to urbandictionary.com, hipsters comprise “a subculture of men and women that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity and witty banter,” and the College feels that these qualities would greatly increase the intellectual level of the student body. Students that use words like capitalism, nihilism, romanticism and any other –ism in everyday conversation “will surely spark meaningful discussion and debate in class” Beverage said.
Furthermore, “the College’s academics must keep up with the changing times,” Beverage said, and in a world where Britney Spears is mundane and Lady Gaga is revolutionary, “hipsters reflect a new generation of thought.” Prestigious universities like Brown and Columbia already boast large skinny-jeans-wearing populations, “and it is about time that Colby joined their ranks” Beverage said.
Beverage happily noted the small but loyal contingent of students that smoke outside the Street in between classes and eat in Foss, even on weekends. “But we can do better than this,” he said. He is optimistic that the College will be able to attract more hipsters despite its non-urban setting. “We may be hours away from an Urban Outfitters,” he said, “but Ken-a-set is right down the street. And everyone knows that hipsters prefer authentic vintage clothing.”
Nevertheless, the College will take certain measures to make the Hill more appealing to hipsters. It plans to expand the chai tea collection in the dining halls, limit the music played in Pulver to obscure techno and add more courses like “Neo-Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism” to the curriculum.
To easier identify hipsters in the application process, the College has also added a new component to the supplemental application. “It now includes a checklist,” Beverage said, on which students denote whether or not they wear thick-rimmed glasses, are vegan, like Andy Warhol, worship Kerouac…etc.
Just because someone owns a pair of Ray-Bans does not he or she is a hipster, however. To avoid false identification, the last question on the checklist asks: are you a hipster? “This is where we will weed out all of the poseurs— because a true hipster would never answer yes,” Beverage explains.
The College’s interviewers have also been trained to pick out certain style, mannerisms and personality traits associated with hipsters. “When I am interviewing a prospective student,” Admissions Interviewer and Expert Hipster Identifier Cathy Latvis said, “first I note what they are wearing. Does it look like something a homeless man on the streets of Manhattan in the 1960’s might have worn? If so, then they are off to a good start,” she said.
“But not all people who dress like hipsters are actually alternative,” Latvis warned. “Which is why I pay attention to more subtle details. How often do they brush their side bangs out of their eyes? How many times do they refer to something as ‘ironic’? Sometimes I even casually slip in a quote from a Wes Anderson movie to see if they get the reference,” she said.
Those prospective students with the most number of yes’s (yet who don’t self-identify as hipsters) in the supplemental application checklist and display the most hipster qualities in interviews will be given priority in Admissions.
The College will implement these changes for the College’s Class of 2015, and it looks forward to the day when homemade sneakers outnumber Sperry’s on campus. “When I can walk down Frat Row and smell nothing but clove cigarettes,” Beverage said, “I’ll know we have accomplished our goal.”
Peace,
Rocky
Monday, April 26, 2010
A Tribute to Georgetown Day
There is no day holier than Georgetown Day. Some might argue Christmas, others 4/20. But if you've ever been to Georgetown on Georgetown day, you'd know why it has no parallel.
1. Class cancellations.
Anila has already had three of four classes canceled. (Except for the one class we have together, of course.)
2. The acceptability of intoxication during classes not canceled.
Pre-gaming a language class is most ideal- diminishes your inhibitions and encourages free conversation. Nevertheless, pre-gaming should not turn into gaming. Save your strength; it's a long day.
3. Leo's goes outside.
There's nothing like a special twist on your everyday dining hall cuisine. Usually, these festivities include some form of Karaoke, which is just embarrassing for all parties involved. On Georgetown day, however, we can say goodbye to those slightly-green eggs and long wait at the Diner just in time for someone to steal your grilled cheese. Nothing but good ole fashioned hamburgers to be enjoyed on the lawn.
4. Foam Pit Extravanganza
Likely a breeding ground for a slew of viruses, the giant foam pit in Red Square is sure to bring hours of fun.
5. Guggernaut (all week)
Brought to you by GUGS (the Georgetown University Grilling Society, where you don't have to choose between college & flipping burgers) Guggernaut is a week-long event of good food and friends. Includes, but is not limited to, sausages from around the world, ribs, a GUGS burger eating contest, and finally a party on Village A rooftops overlooking the Potomac River.
6. The Fact that It's Still On
During Snowmageddon, our Provost James O'Donnell (not the same James from orchestra class) decided to take back President's day. We originally had scheduled no class, but dear Jimmy took that luxury away. A backlash fomented as the student body feared the precedent he set. What other holidays might the University relinquish? Watch, and find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YfSCxUeXGE
Hoya Saxa,
Earl
1. Class cancellations.
Anila has already had three of four classes canceled. (Except for the one class we have together, of course.)
2. The acceptability of intoxication during classes not canceled.
Pre-gaming a language class is most ideal- diminishes your inhibitions and encourages free conversation. Nevertheless, pre-gaming should not turn into gaming. Save your strength; it's a long day.
3. Leo's goes outside.
There's nothing like a special twist on your everyday dining hall cuisine. Usually, these festivities include some form of Karaoke, which is just embarrassing for all parties involved. On Georgetown day, however, we can say goodbye to those slightly-green eggs and long wait at the Diner just in time for someone to steal your grilled cheese. Nothing but good ole fashioned hamburgers to be enjoyed on the lawn.
4. Foam Pit Extravanganza
Likely a breeding ground for a slew of viruses, the giant foam pit in Red Square is sure to bring hours of fun.
5. Guggernaut (all week)
Brought to you by GUGS (the Georgetown University Grilling Society, where you don't have to choose between college & flipping burgers) Guggernaut is a week-long event of good food and friends. Includes, but is not limited to, sausages from around the world, ribs, a GUGS burger eating contest, and finally a party on Village A rooftops overlooking the Potomac River.
6. The Fact that It's Still On
During Snowmageddon, our Provost James O'Donnell (not the same James from orchestra class) decided to take back President's day. We originally had scheduled no class, but dear Jimmy took that luxury away. A backlash fomented as the student body feared the precedent he set. What other holidays might the University relinquish? Watch, and find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YfSCxUeXGE
Hoya Saxa,
Earl
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Centaurs are Cute, Too
Me: “Whoa. That guy is really hot.”
Friend: “He looks like a hobbit.”
Me: “So…?”
Long hair and soul patches do wonders for fantastical characters like centaurs. Humans are a slightly different story. It is true that not everyone can pull them off, and there is a very fine line between what works and what just makes you look like a creep. But if you can pull them off, you automatically become 10x more attractive. So don’t hate on the good-looking hobbits.
Friend: “He looks like a hobbit.”
Me: “So…?”
Long hair and soul patches do wonders for fantastical characters like centaurs. Humans are a slightly different story. It is true that not everyone can pull them off, and there is a very fine line between what works and what just makes you look like a creep. But if you can pull them off, you automatically become 10x more attractive. So don’t hate on the good-looking hobbits.
Turn Off the Music and Face the Music
“Hey Bob!” I say happily. No response. “Bob?” I repeat, a little louder, but he still doesn’t so much as glance in my direction. When I catch up with him and I see the little white ear buds and I know why. Bob couldn’t hear me because he was listening to music.
As music-listening technology gets more and more advanced, people are becoming less and less social. It’s not just Bob. Many students slip on their headphones and crank up the volume on their iPods the second class is over. In doing this, they become almost entirely unapproachable and eliminate any potential for post-class discussion. “Dude I just bombed that quiz…I can’t believe we have to write that paper for next class…” This is quality bonding time that is often wasted because a student cannot last a moment longer without having their eardrums bombarded by Beethoven.
The post-class headphone routine is even more unfortunate if a headphone-free and headphone-wearing student happen to be walking in the same direction as each other. “You’re walking to Foss? Oh, me too,” the headphone-free student often finds themselves thinking. “I’ll just walk a couple steps behind you awkwardly and we won’t talk...” It is also embarrassing if the headphone-free student is not aware that their classmate is wearing headphones, attempts to talk to them, and is publicly ignored.
Maybe people like Bob hide behind their headphones because they are shy and fear social interaction. To this, I say they need to take off the headphones even more. They need to learn how to have a casual conversation with a fellow classmate, if not because they want to make friends because this is a skill that will surely come in handy in the real world of networking and job interviews.
Maybe people like Bob are misanthropes who cannot stand listening to the inane discussion that goes on in between classes. Maybe Bob hates me and was pretending not to notice me on purpose… but I’m going to go ahead and blame technology on this one.
Maybe people like Bob just love music. So much so that they apparently can’t go a second without it. But the music will always be there. The cute girl/boy in their biology class who has been hanging back after class hoping to talk to them will not.
As music-listening technology gets more and more advanced, people are becoming less and less social. It’s not just Bob. Many students slip on their headphones and crank up the volume on their iPods the second class is over. In doing this, they become almost entirely unapproachable and eliminate any potential for post-class discussion. “Dude I just bombed that quiz…I can’t believe we have to write that paper for next class…” This is quality bonding time that is often wasted because a student cannot last a moment longer without having their eardrums bombarded by Beethoven.
The post-class headphone routine is even more unfortunate if a headphone-free and headphone-wearing student happen to be walking in the same direction as each other. “You’re walking to Foss? Oh, me too,” the headphone-free student often finds themselves thinking. “I’ll just walk a couple steps behind you awkwardly and we won’t talk...” It is also embarrassing if the headphone-free student is not aware that their classmate is wearing headphones, attempts to talk to them, and is publicly ignored.
Maybe people like Bob hide behind their headphones because they are shy and fear social interaction. To this, I say they need to take off the headphones even more. They need to learn how to have a casual conversation with a fellow classmate, if not because they want to make friends because this is a skill that will surely come in handy in the real world of networking and job interviews.
Maybe people like Bob are misanthropes who cannot stand listening to the inane discussion that goes on in between classes. Maybe Bob hates me and was pretending not to notice me on purpose… but I’m going to go ahead and blame technology on this one.
Maybe people like Bob just love music. So much so that they apparently can’t go a second without it. But the music will always be there. The cute girl/boy in their biology class who has been hanging back after class hoping to talk to them will not.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Poor Hermione...
This spring break, my roommate and I eagerly checked Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows on tape out from the library in order to survive a 23-hour-long car ride from Maine to Georgia.
We turned onto the highway and popped the CD into the player, and I was immediately enthralled by Jim Dale’s deep voice and wonderful British accent. The characters sounded just like I imagined they always would.
All of the characters except Hermione, that is.
I acknowledge the incredibly difficult task of having to create appropriate and distinct voices for each and every character in the book. I know that it must be extremely difficult for a man in his seventies to do the voice of a teenage girl, and because of this, I will overlook the raspy nature Hermione’s voice.
Once I get past the fact that Hermione sounds like a chronic smoker, however, I still cannot ignore the fact that she sounds relentlessly passive, whiney, and desperate. Jim Dale clearly resorted to female stereotypes when creating the voice of Hermione.
“Har-eeee!” This is what it sounds like every time Hermione says Harry’s name, and I shudder whenever I hear it. About halfway through the book everyone in the car, including myself, began imitating her every time she spoke, the “y” sound in Harry’s name becoming more and more elongated each time. We were too busy making fun of her to hear any of the important things she had to say.
Hermione, for all her know-it-all tendencies and occasionally annoying anxiety, is undoubtedly one of the smartest females in the history of fiction, and Jim Dale’s interpretation of her does her a huge disservice.
We turned onto the highway and popped the CD into the player, and I was immediately enthralled by Jim Dale’s deep voice and wonderful British accent. The characters sounded just like I imagined they always would.
All of the characters except Hermione, that is.
I acknowledge the incredibly difficult task of having to create appropriate and distinct voices for each and every character in the book. I know that it must be extremely difficult for a man in his seventies to do the voice of a teenage girl, and because of this, I will overlook the raspy nature Hermione’s voice.
Once I get past the fact that Hermione sounds like a chronic smoker, however, I still cannot ignore the fact that she sounds relentlessly passive, whiney, and desperate. Jim Dale clearly resorted to female stereotypes when creating the voice of Hermione.
“Har-eeee!” This is what it sounds like every time Hermione says Harry’s name, and I shudder whenever I hear it. About halfway through the book everyone in the car, including myself, began imitating her every time she spoke, the “y” sound in Harry’s name becoming more and more elongated each time. We were too busy making fun of her to hear any of the important things she had to say.
Hermione, for all her know-it-all tendencies and occasionally annoying anxiety, is undoubtedly one of the smartest females in the history of fiction, and Jim Dale’s interpretation of her does her a huge disservice.
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