Archives for July 2009

    It was only a little past nine, but the sun had already sunk under the skyscrapers that outlined New York City. The faintest of stars began to shimmer and show in the blue horizon, but a blaze of artificial sun and glamour came from the street. Canal Street. 

     The street was lined with small stores, lit by the synthetic brightness of fluorescent tubes and cone lamps. Owners chattered away, trying to sell off whatever products they could before they had to close and retire for the night. One woman picked out a distinctive bag. It was an attractive find: the “C”s seemed to be embroidered carefully, as if by hand and eye. 

    I watched the scene from the car window, when the store fronts could no longer be seen, I turned and spoke. â€œWhy do people pay so much for something real that they can get the identical for less?”

    In such a materialistic world, why would anyone want anything to last? Styles change every season, anything bought would eventually be “last year’s style.”As much as you can hate it, buying counterfeit items is not a bad idea. If it looked identical, performed rather identically (after-all a bag is but two cloths sewn together to put stuff in) then why not get the cheaper one and walkaway with more money in your pocket? 

    My father replied, “Sometimes when people find something they like, they want it to last because it is hard to find a replacement for it.” 

    I sat back and thought. 

    I wonder if that’s the same with people.

            My friend recently bought the August 2009 Elle magazine, simply to mock its cover girl. After going through the young sensations fashion spread, she gave me the magazine to actually enjoy. I liked the first seventy pages until I found the preview of Fall 2009 â€œmust buys” from Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle. 

    Zee is supposed to be the kind of style consultant you can trust, and I was excited to see what he would recommend for me and other females to purchase for the coming fall season. But I was surprisingly dismayed at what Zee urged women across America to go out and buy.

            I was not upset by Zee’s picks just because I wouldn’t wear them. Fashion is a form of art, and not everyone is going to agree on what is beautiful. I was disappointed in the “must buys” Zee chose because many of these styles would look horrendous on the everyday American woman looking to spruce up her closet. Many of the pieces he chose can only be worn with strict supervision from a stylist or to look flattering on most women.

            The most unflattering of Zee’s choices is the “new” pant. Oh how I loathe this pant. It’s cropped, pleated and high waisted. This combination, my friends, is the holy trinity of evil when it comes to pants. Joe Zee actually knows this, saying “don’t be scared” in the spread to his readers. Don’t listen to his warnings, be very scared. In fact if you come in contact with these pants, run screaming in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. 

    The cropping of the pants will minimize the length of your leg. The pleating will make your thigh seem bigger than it actually is. And the high waisting of the pants will make your crotch look much longer or larger. Exciting right?

            Zee also preaches the greatness of colored denim, especially in a slim cut. This is great if you’re a scene kid. Colored denim does not always make one look as though they have fallen out of the local Hot Topic; but as I said previously, without a stylist or amazing taste it can veer in that direction. Also this cut and color maximizes the largeness of someone’s thigh. Again.

            The creative director of Elle said that the over-the-knee boot is only easy to wear for “pretty women” or women aiming for that look. Although, he still believes you should invest in the boots for the fall to wear over pants and jeans. This would look wonderful on model thin girls but women with thicker calves or shorter legs need not buy.  

            The last problematic en vogue piece that Zee wants you to buy is the big-shouldered jacket. I actually love the idea of the jacket; one of my favorite designers, Marc Jacobs, filled his show with them. But, I don’t believe most women would look attractive in a 1980s-inspired jacket that could make them look like a line backer. In the photo Zee styled for Elle, the jacket with denim hot shorts balanced the outfit well on a very thin young model. The problem is most women aren’t models or going to wear hot pants in the middle of October.

            I don’t want to seem as though I dislike everything Joe Zee thinks is a “must buy.” His suggestion of the loose white tee would look great on any and every woman. It can be layered and is wearable from fall to summer–which  is great in this economy. The bootie, another “must buy,” would also look great with many types of outfits, and can be worn from the boardroom to the bar. Lastly, studs, when not worn in a costume-like way, can look both tough and sexy. That kind of dynamic will always be flattering.  

            With the constant evolution of what’s “in” for the fashion industry, my advice is don’t try to always be trendy. Not every craze will make you look the best you can, so don’t try to emulate every runway trend. Especially not in this economy.

    An amateur astronomer has discovered that something has crashed into Jupiter, leaving a bruise the size of the Pacific Ocean near it’s south pole. 

    The Australian astronomer, Anthony Wesley, caught sight of the “bruise” probably left by a comet. At first he seemed like he was going to quit and watch TV, but he decided to take another look and was surprised at what he saw. Wesley later e-mailed other astronomers, among them Dr. Fletcher, who was able to bring this to other astronomers. 

    â€œThis is a big event,” says Fletcher. “In the inner solar system it would have looked like a huge disaster.” Using NASA’s infrared telescope facility on top of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, Dr. Fletcher and his colleague Glenn Norton saw through the infrared telescope and Jupiter’s “scar” showed up as a bright spot. Surprisingly this has happened before, in July 1994. Dr. Marchis stated in an e-mail that “Humans should be thankful for Jupiter.” Whatever hit Jupiter could have been pulled by Jupiter’s huge gravity before it hit. He had this to say in an e-mail, “The Solar System would be a very dangerous place if we did not have Jupiter. We  should thank Jupiter for suffering for us. It’ strong gravitational field is acting like a shield, protecting us from comets coming from the outer part of the solar system.”   

“Let’s have some fun/this beat is sick/I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.” As Lady Gaga repeats this to the rhythm of a computerized beat, I can’t help but feel lost at what music, especially mainstream music, has evolved into. 

    Lately, it seems to me as if a majority of the songs on the mainstream charts in one way or the other relates to either sex, getting girls or money. For example, besides “LoveGame,” by Lady Gaga, another song that is currently popular is “If You Seek Amy,” by the infamous pop princess herself, Britney Spears. That song has garnered a lot of debate and controversy because of its supposedly hidden sexual message. An even more direct example is “Birthday Sex,” by Jeremiah which has currently spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. No need to explain the song at all.

I’m not trying to insult any of these artists personally, but I just feel that in a way, modern music has lost much of its depth, originality and meaning. There is no denying that many of these songs are extremely catchy. I find myself humming them almost intuitively. Besides, just look at how big and sensational Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat became.” (You know you secretly practice the dance at home too.) However, is there anything more behind all the dances, computerized beats and explicit lyrics? After the three minutes, did the songs have a significant impact on us in any way? Yes, they will be stuck in our heads for a few days, but what next? Will they make us think like John Lennon’s “Imagine” did or will they still awe us twenty years later like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” did?

I might be just too old school, but I think that radio stations definitely need to play more songs that tell stories and have genuine messages. It is obvious, though, that the tracks playing now are the ones that can sell millions and become successful. That is what music executives want, the upbeat melodies and addicting choruses that can be played in clubs. That is what the audience wants, what the consumers want, what we want. These songs are fun, but how long can the fun really last?

 

           “Everyone has a right to be treated fairly, no matter howyou look or dress,” says Stephanie Boothe, a 17-year-old senior at QueensGateway to the Health Sciences High School. She is a strong believer in equalrights, and takes part in the LGBT Community Center’s Youth Enrichment Programlocated on West 13^th Street in Manhattan. She works with thisprogram to fight for the rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people in NewYork.

            The goal ofthe Center’s program is to make people aware of discrimination towards the gaycommunity.  This program has inspired herto participate in protests and advocate for equal rights such as gay marriageand for non-discrimination in schools.

As part of her activism, Stephanie triesto look for support from political leaders, but she faces problems doing sobecause even senators have closed their doors on programs involving the gaycommunity. This only encourages Stephanie to work harder and keep making peopleaware of the issues occurring in her community. She hopes to become ajournalist in order to change society’s point of view on sexual orientationissues and continue advocating for what she believes in.

Shaniqua Lavaughn, a 16-year-old from the Bronx, is an upcoming senior at the High School for Law, Advocacy and Community Justice in Manhattan.

 

Shaniqua’s interest in journalism extends beyond this summer’s College Now class at Baruch College; she also signed up for Advanced Placement(AP) Journalism at her high school. She’s also interested in past and current affairs. “I’m taking AP History next fall,” she says. “I love history and government, just to know the facts about how everything comes to be.”  

 

In her spare time, Shaniqua listens to music, dances, reads books, writes poems, hangs out with her family, and watches TV, but  “not too much,” she says. She also does recreation cheerleading and plays softball. She is planning on joining her school’s softball team next year.

 

When it comes to narrowing choices she says, “It’s hard to make decisions. I’m very stubborn and very independent and I think it has to do with the fact that I’m a Capricorn. We are never decided about anything.”

            Mariann Yip is 17 years old and attends Brooklyn Latin High School. She is passionate about the performing arts because they allow her to express herself in many forms.For example, she enjoys dancing, with a focus on ballet, modern dance, and jazz,and she also acts at the Stella Adler Studio in Manhattan. With dance, Mariann is able to express herself in swift movements that tell a story or express her mood, while acting is a more verbal way of communicating her feelings and passions. Journalism allows her to put her thoughts down in words.

            Mariann has a go-getter attitude and is willing to work her way through obstacles to achieve her goals. She thinks of herself as a trend setter, not a trend follower,and she has a talent for shopping at chain stores but crafting a unique look from the clothes she buys.

            Mariann hasa philosophical approach to life, and she spins quotes or phrases that help her understand and define her life. “Everything you do is meaningless today, but it will all be purposeful tomorrow,” she says. As this quote shows, Mariann understands that hard work will be rewarded in the future.

            Linda Chu lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and attends Bronx Science. She will be returning as a senior next year and plans to apply to Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire. In addition to taking the College Now journalism class at Baruch College, Linda is volunteering at Lutheran Medical Center this summer.

            Linda travels with her immediate family to Toronto, Canada, every year to visit relatives. Next year, though, she and her family may visit Hong Kong instead. She also hopes to travel to such places as Australia, South America, Europe, and Antarctica (because“I really like penguins,” she says).

            Back home in Bay Ridge, Linda enjoys playing sports, going to the movies, shopping and playing the Wii. She even once played hide-and-seek at Macy’s with her friends.Most of all, she really enjoys going to the beach near her home. “It’s really cool because you don’t feel like you’re in the city at all,” she says.

            Linda also likes to spend time at the Narrows, the waterway that’s crossed by the Verrazano Bridge. She enjoys bike-riding with friends and listening to music with a good rhythm, such as rap. If there’s anything else you want to know about Linda, just ask her: She loves people!

  For fifteen years, Vans Warped Tour has celebrated with long hours of electric guitars, punk sounds and moshing. This past Saturday, July 18, at Nassau Colosseum on Long Island, the excitement seemed to be missing. 

    Everyone was excited to go down and spend nine hours in the parking lots listening to their favorite bands, moshing and having fun. The line of cars that were entering was incredible. Many people actually got out their cars and started walking on their own. Some cars even broke the law and went on to the sidewalk where they rushed to the front of the line to drop off their kids. The heat seemed to be suffocating the kids inside the cars and they were all desperate to get the concert.  

    Once inside, many began to look for the schedule which to everyone’s surprise was $2. Some people noticed their favorite bands were the first ones to perform. Underoath, for example, was one of the most anticipated bands and they performed first at the Vans Stage. Although many people did not seem to like this because the stage was already full by the time they got there, they did not complain because they were going to see their favorite band.  

    As I watched the show I noticed one thing: Spencer (lead singer of the band) was, incredibly, much better at his screaming since the last time I had seen him at the Fillmore Irving Plaza and the sound of the band in general was much better. I wondered if there was any editing being done backstage. But, I ignored the idea and continued to watch.  

    After being punched, kicked, pushed into a mosh pit and nearly being trampled on, the show ended. Underoath was amazing and everyone was completely exhausted by the end. After this people began to look for somewhere to cool down, but the problem was that all their drinks were completely expensive. A water bottle, a Gatorade and a Redbull came out to be $17. That was the first problem of Warped Tour. $0$0 The second problem was the schedule. Bands that people wanted to see were playing at the exact time that another good one was going to play, or they would end right in the middle of the next band they wanted to watch. People were having difficulties keeping up with the schedule; the bands were also not so great as the past years.  

    My personal opinion of this year’s Warped Tour is that it was horrible. The prices were too high, the bands were not so good, the merchandise was ugly, the times were not good and most importantly THE BANDS WERE BEING EDITED BACKSTAGE.  

    After walking to the Skull Candy stage, I stopped and noticed a tent where I saw Underoath keyboardist, Chris Dudley; but, I also saw that this tent was where the sound of the band playing was being changed. This just made me completely hate the Warped Tour. The sounds were fake, so people were probably not listening to anything live and it just was not a good experience. Hopefully next year the tour will be as unforgettable as in past years.