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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Winter Classic: More Than Just a Money Maker
The NHL announced on Thursday that the 6th installment of their annual Winter Classic would take place on New Years Day of next year in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit’s own Red Wings are slated to take on their Original Six rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Why Outdoors?
The Winter Classic has been everything the league could have imagined since it’s inaugural game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo in 2008. That game produced a shootout, and fans were left with the image of Penguins star leaping through the snow after scoring the game winner.
The game was seen as an opportunity for the NHL to retain some of the popularity it had lost since the league locked out for the 2004-2005 season, and indeed it’s worked. Records have been broken for viewership of a regular season NHL game each season. But for most of the players, playing outside in an NHL game has brought their careers full circle. Many of the league’s players are either Canadian or American, and a large portion of them started skating on outdoor rinks and ponds in their hometowns as young boys.

On Long Island there is a shortage of outdoor rinks and children are relegated to playing inline hockey at facilities like SkateSafe. Photo: Andrew Capitelli
What it Means for the Players
During pre-game interviews for the event, players can be heard describing their fondest memories playing on backyard rinks. The fun they discovered with their friends, as they played until their toes went numb, shows a love for the game unseen in any modern day sport.
This is hockey in it’s most pure form, and although the league may capitalize on the event commercially, the game lets players get back to their roots and, above all, is a celebration of the game fans and players fell in love with.

For those who cannot experience the thrill of outdoor ice hockey, there are training balls that imitate the feeling of stick handling with a puck. Photo: Andrew Capitelli
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Is the World of Rock N Roll Dangerous or Helpful?
The Theory
When we think of rock music, most of us think drugs, alcohol, dark lyrics and really loud music. Most people think of the likes of David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Nirvana. We remember the ones who got caught up in the game of rock music and crashed like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain who committed suicide at the age of 27. We remember the intense makeup and wardrobe of Kiss and David Bowie.
The Inspiration
While it is true that rock music is full of loud sounds, dark lyrics, obsessions, and sometimes drugs and destructive behavior, there is more to the music than insanity.
To me and to most of the people who listen or sing rock music, whether it’s classic rock or punk- rock, it’s a way for us to express the intense emotions we feel or go through in our daily lives. Most of us do have a couple of demons we are trying to fight. However, singing and writing keep us sane.
The Truth
It’s dangerous for a person to not have a way of dealing with life’s heartaches. It is necessary for a person to have a coping mechanism of one way or another. I do agree there are many rockers who end up greatly under the influence and suicidal. However, there are still many people like Pink Floyd, Skillet, Green Day, and Evanescence who have been in the world of Rock N Roll and have come out victors over their demons.
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Interlaken : Europe’s Adventure Sport Capital
Photos and Text By Christopher Platis
Toss yourself into the Swiss Alps scene by jumping in, on and over Interlaken’s lakes and mountains by way of Europe’s most adrenaline-inducing adventure sports.
Dive Into Interlaken
Easily accessible via Switzerland’s paradisiacal public transportation–which totes trains, trams, boats and busses second to none internationally–Interlaken is too often overshadowed by the country’s monetary-based municipalities, Zurich and Geneva. Travelers looking for the benefits of a Swiss holiday (cheese fondue, chocolates, and fine-made timepieces) without falling victim to tourist-trap prices in more popular cities have been exploiting Interlaken for decades.
Get Your Heart Racing
Void of museums and lacking an old town to historically roam, Interlaken smartly markets its greatest asset: adventure. One small step out of an airplane quickly becomes a giant leap of faith when soaring above the tallest of Swiss Alp peaks in a skydiving trip like no other. Rather than flying above them, some adrenaline-junkies opt to traverse down the mountains through the form of canyoning. Legally offered only several places worldwide, canyoning challenges those daring enough to dive, slide, jump, rappel and race down the rushing watery gorge of a given mountain. Water extremists will be pleased with Interlaken’s year-round raft outings, and cold-weather conquerors can push their bodies to the limit with either ice climbing or glacier hiking journeys. Feeling a little intimidated? Interlaken offers alternatives for novice adventurers with scenic hang gliding and paragliding tandem tours.
Centrally located, bound by beautiful mountains and surrounded by streaming lakes which define the city, Inter-laken has become a haven for travelers looking to supercharge their heartbeats. Take advantage of its extreme locale, and use your old bucket list to wipe your hands clean after you’ve reached the peak of your adventurous desires.
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Winter is a Misnomer in NYC
By Michael Arnold
This year in New York City, spring didn’t give the groundhog a chance to see his shadow. It arrived weeks before he resurfaced from hibernation.
The peculiar winter, or lack thereof, in the city has been an extremely atypical phenomenon. The Big Apple rang in 2012 with April-like weather, a stark difference from the usual icy cold conditions. Trees and plants have been budding and then dying off since the holidays and throughout the month of January.
The Unseasonable Weather is Throwing Off Plants and Animals
Surely, many city residents, myself included, are overjoyed at not having to shovel mounds of snow each morning. However, the unseasonably warm winter has been disorienting for plant cycles and bird migration patterns.
In early February, Japanese apricot trees and yellow Adonis plants – exotic annuals at the Bronx Botanical Gardens – began blooming. One freeze, however, and these plants will be killed off until next spring.
It Looks Like Spring Throughout the City
Likewise, crocuses can be seen popping out of the ground throughout the city’s parks. Small trees are flowering, and many bushes are producing berries. Birds have migrated back to the city area in droves – about two months before their usual migration time. One short bout of real NYC winter weather, and it could be to the detriment of all this wildlife.
The city thus far has seen less than significant snowfall in January, and an overnight dusting in early February. We can only hope that there isn’t a major freeze, or it might be a quiet spring.
Photographs by Michael Arnold.
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Fashion Becomes Art
In a world where fashion magazines are widely read and influence many individuals, it is clear fashion plays an intricate part in society. Further, fashion today has transcended into another level where it is now considered as art and the fashion designers as artists. Fashion designers create unique, beautiful and sometimes over the top clothing that redefines what fashion is. Often times pushing the limits of the fashion world. One famous designer that comes to mind is the legendary Alexander McQueen, whose lifetime collection of work was showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last summer.
The McQueen Exhibition
According to the official Met website, the exhibition was organized by The Costume Institute, and celebrated the late Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion. The exhibition featured work from McQueen’s’ 1992 Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection to his final runway presentation. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His designs– considered as iconic — showcase the work of an artist who truly cares about the ways in which to express it. The exhibition featured approximately one hundred ensembles and seventy accessories from Mr. McQueen’s prolific nineteen-year career.
A Fashion Designer and an Artist
When a fashion’s designer’s collection of almost his life’s work becomes an exhibition at an art museum that proves the level of significance or regard that fashion has on the world, and how fashion has become an art. In addition, I think fashion is an art in the way that both fashion designer and artists share several similarities. Both need to be inspired for them to create their own designs or works of art. Moreover, both fashion designer and artists obtain inspiration from the world around them, and perhaps from each other, such as a fashion designer being inspired by a painting or a photograph.
By Joanne Ganthier
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The Secret Behind the Super Bowl
Cluelessness
To declare myself a football fan would be baffling. To evidence myself making an effort in the use of any sports related jargon would simply ensue hilarity – albeit, since two weeks prior, I will gladly look to future Super Bowl events.
Now you may wonder, how did such an unbeliever suddenly become receptive to what once sounded like such babble?
Secret
It wasn’t the Giant’s honed athletic abilities (sorry, fanatics), or the players’ amazing physical attributes (again, sorry), it was simply the sort of fellowship I was able to share with all of my friends under the unity of a common goal.
Sure, it may sound cliché, and even very blasé, but I truly believe I have discovered the secret behind the victimization of those to the utter passion of the Super bowl.
Recap
The atmosphere of the gathering I was a part of screamed conformity from the very start – everyone had on a t-shirt bearing the Giants logo, and for the ignorant, like myself, we at least sported supportive colors to avoid feeling left out. If that wasn’t enough, there were branded balloons and disposable utensils littering the house, and other such paraphernalia.
As we were seated and, watching the game, those who were most severely victim to the football fever were in front, unaware of anything else but what was on the TV field. If their heat was as a literal flame in that it was quickly spreading, those of us who were once indifferent were like flammable paint.
Victory
When the Giants won, we all won. Regardless of how false the pride induced in us were, the very presence of an “us” was highly addictive and enjoyable. Not to mention that the food was awesome.
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The “Triangle Building”
Every day I pass the Flatiron Building on 5thAve and Broadway on my way to Baruch and wonder why so many people are taking pictures of it. Sure the shape of the building is unusual, but so is nearly every other building in Manhattan. I decided to look at this building through the lens of a camera and see if it was any more captivating. Next, I went on a mission to learn about the history of the Flatiron Building and possibly understand the reason it is so fascinating to onlookers.
Angling
Before doing any research, I analyzed the building. I noticed that unlike any surrounding buildings, it is the only building that occupies an entire block. It spans from East 23rd Street back to East 22nd Street. My immediate thought after this observation was that this building had to be of importance in order to own it’s own block, especially in this crowded city. I proceeded to join the rest of the people behind a camera and snapped some more photos, gaining a new insight on this mysterious building with each changing angle.
It’s a Flat Iron!
Architect D.H. Burnham built the Flatiron Building, originally called the Fuller Building, in 1902 as a functioning office building. The building took its name from the triangular lot on which it was built – the Flatiron block, so called because it was shaped like a clothing iron. According to The Arts & Events section of nymag.com, “Skeptics vowed it would never withstand the notoriously windy corner where Fifth Ave. and Broadway cross paths. In the end, the 3,680-ton steel structure—one of the earliest of its kind—proved them wrong and its success became a catalyst for further development and uptown expansion.” The Flatiron Building was one of New York City’s first skyscrapers and it has withstood the test of time. Now, this mere 285-foot tall building would be the laughing stock of the skyscrapers of the 21st century, but it remains a historical part of this great city.
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Confessions of a Baruch Senior
It’s hard not to panic when the first day of the last semester of your college career begins. The emails that pile up from your new professors only add to the knot that has been forming in your stomach since the moment you paid your last ever tuition bill. I don’t know about my fellow Baruchian seniors, but it is safe to say I am officially having anxiety attacks about what happens after Graduation!
In Retrospect
I remember high school graduation like it was yesterday. I haven’t even framed my prom pictures yet and here I am registering for my Bachelor’s Degree graduation. It really does make me wonder: Where does the time go? Even more so, it makes me reevaluate my last four years at Baruch. It is as if I’m running a mental check list on all the things I should’ve done during the last four years to make sure I am prepared for a new title in my “occupation” box.
Crossing The Bridge
You know the saying “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”? Well, this is it. More sooner than later I will be “crossing that bridge” and I guess it’s natural for me to be so anxious about what’s on the other side. As long as I keep my panic attacks in check I think i’ll be just fine..right? It’ll take alot of me reminding myself to breathe and take it one day at a time but I know in my heart and in my mind that great things await me. Because we must learn to crawl before we walk, I think im ready to get on my feet.
All photos were taken by Isamar Batista.
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Valentine’s Day: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Contrary to what you may think by the end of reading this post, I am not bitter, alone, nor live with 37 cats. Actually, Im cupid’s biggest cheerleader. I live for the hopeless romance Hollywood movies sell us, and I will probably get heartbroken many times in my journey to find my knight in shining armor. Yet, I admit that I am against Valentine’s Day and everyone who obsesses over it. Yes, there are girls that actually HATE Valentine’s Day.
Who? What? Where?
Call me crazy, but I happen to believe that love and friendship should be celebrated and expressed on a daily basis. Why do we need an assigned day to buy flowers and chocolates when you can do that any given day? There is just too much pressure placed on February 14th. It’s all about who’s your “valentine,” where did he take you, and what did he give you? I’ve seen people get so caught up that they forget the most important thing that day signifies: Love.
Love Money Can’t Buy
Every year Valentine’s Day is less about the love and more about material things. I refuse to give in to the commercialization of yet another American tradition and get in the running to compete with millions of other couples to prove my appreciation for someone. A gift, a date or a card won’t define my love for anyone. If I love you, you’ll know it every day, holiday or not.
All photos were taken by Isamar Batista.
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A Double Take is Required For an Ad in Paint
Advertisements constantly surround the lives of New Yorkers that after a while they aren’t even paid attention to. Ads can typically be found on buses, telephone booths, taxi cabs, subway cars and on gigantic billboards scattered around the city, particularly in Times Square where they seem almost blinding. They are everywhere you turn and yet no one ever spends time looking at them, really observing them and their meaning, unless you are watching one being painted on by a sign painter.
Competing with Posters
Concord Painting–a major sign painting corporation that works for the likes of Astroland (Cyclone Roller coaster), Cartier on 5th Avenue, The Brooklyn Public Library, and the Marriot Marquis, just to name a few—have overcame their struggles from when the popularity of posters increased; “New York sign painting suffered in the seventies and eighties but is making a steady comeback thanks to public appreciation of its artistry and appeal.” It is apparent that major corporations are sticking to the individuality that sign painting offers to their buildings.
The Creative Process
Sign painting was the original form of advertising in Manhattan in the 1950’s. Though it is seen as a lost art that has been overpowered by the simplicity and cost efficiency in the mass reproduction of posters, the diligence and attentiveness that is required to perform this tedious artistry is the strength that has kept it alive for so many years. As Concord Painting describes it, “The actual sign painter’s work is still meticulous and hand crafted. Using a grid pattern the painting itself is still done by hand. The color matching is done by eye and hand through experience in working with the paint and different surfaces. A sign painter can be catagorized as a commercial contractor, but in a finer sense, the sign painter is a true artist.”
Hope for the Future
A handful of buildings throughout the city still stay committed to the artistry that is sign painting. The ads tend to give a sense of originality, uniqueness and add a beautiful aesthetic to the once common and dull brick building. It is with this maxim that sign painting companies still thrive in business throughout New York City and should continue to prosper for years to come.
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