NY Times [Entertainment]

Some kids in my LC and myself missed the workshop so we were instructed to visit a museum with Namit and other kids from a different LC. We at first did not want to go but when we went in the museum we found it enjoyable. The museum was based on Buddhist paintings, information, and artifacts. Ironically I had to right a paper on Buddhism about 2 weeks before the trip but I found this visit much more informative than a few websites. I clearly remember seeing this large painting that Namit told us was supposed to drive us crazy unless we were a monk or someone who was spiritually sound. It didn’t drive anyone crazy but the painting was so detailed and it basically covered the whole wall. Another interesting part of the museum was the staircase. It symbolized the journey that many Buddhists take up a mountain in order to attain Nirvana. They walk in a spiral rather than directly upwards which the museum owner sought to mimic.

This class was created in order to help freshman have an easy transition from high school to college and that is exactly what it did. At first this class was looked at as more work in our already tough schedule but it slowly became a class that I, along with my fellow classmates, found truly enjoying and interesting. We came to class to really just hang out and get to know one another better. We had interesting conversations and debates which really helped us communicate with everyone from our LC. Lancia and Namit were amazing instructors that seemed to always offer the right advice when we were worrying about our freshman problems. All in all this class was definitely useful. I’m actually going to miss it.

FRO was an experience that meant a lot to me. Looking back at it now, FRO really did help me transition into college. Back in freshman year of high school, I had a really tough time transitioning from middle school to high school. My personality is not the type to reach out and make friends, I need people to make the first step; and for me, FRO helped me with that first step.

I met so many amazing new people that I am really sad to leave now. Like some people have told me, everybody in our FRO group will probably be going their own ways and will soon become little more than strangers… That is what I am scared about. Sure, some people will stay in contact with a couple of others, but it will no longer be as a class. I am scared and sad that people will move away, and go their separate ways. I’m not really good at saying good-byes, it really hurts… that’s why I don’t usually like making relationships, because I feel that they will always end up with someone being hurt.

Sure, there were times when it felt kind of embarrassing doing stuff in FRO, but it was these moments that really let me connect with other people. Being the emotional person I am, I am going to miss these times. It’s a shock that the end has come so soon and I am kind of missing it already.

In my honest opinion, I think that the leaders that were present that day were repeating things that were ‘common knowledge’. I think most, if not all, of our LC knew that clubs were where leadership started… Most of what the leaders there said were already known to our LC.

However, that does not mean that it’s not important. Rather, I feel like they were repeating it because joining a club is that important to them. It felt like the presenters were really stressing how important it is to join and be a part of a club (which I agree with). In that way, I guess the workshop wasn’t entirely a failure.

I felt like it would have been a better idea if the workshop was conducted in a smaller manner. It felt as if there were too many people in the workshop, and the message wasn’t as impactful as it should have been because there were too many people. Due to the enormous amount of people, there wasn’t really a connection with the audience; which I felt was needed in this case.

Overall, I wouldn’t say that I was thrilled about the workshop, but I don’t think it was a waste of my time either. Attending the workshop reinforced the importance of joining a club. It made me glad to be a part of a club. I also was kind of interested when the presenters announced that we would have an activity… but I was disappointed with the activity, it wasn’t very active at all. I would have liked it if the presenters incorporated more active activities.

~Kevin Lin

With the spotlight shining right on him this performer does not fail to entertain day in and day out regardless of what he’s doing. People constantly consider him as one of our generations greatest all around performers. Justin Timberlake started from his childhood days on the Mickey Mouse Club, to his NSYNC phase, and even now to his Suit and Tie days, he never seems to fall short of successful. Not only is Justin Timberlake a great singer but he is also a great actor who picks and chooses his roles carefully. He’s been seen numerous times on shows such as Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon causing massive amounts of laughter due to his ability to entertain regardless of what he’s doing.
Due to his current successes with his 20/20 album his popularity has exponentially grown. The reason why Justin Timberlake is successful is because he does not follow the current trends that make other artists in this day and age so popular, he creates his own. His desire for authenticity added into everything he does truly sets him apart from many entertainers in this era. How does he continue to surprise everyone with his performances? He infuses a performers state of mind combined with a dash of originality into whatever he does. When asked about his creative performances Justin Timberlake said, “I’m not the guy I am on stage. I am a performer. It’s an elevated idea”. This state of mind is what makes Justin Timberlake a multigenerational success who anyone, regardless of age, can appreciate.

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/the-enduring-multigenerational-appeal-of-justin-timberlake/

MTV has decided to reach out and bring awareness to international conflicts through their new show, ‘Rebel Music’. The purpose of this show is to view the cultures and problems of the different countries through the eyes of the local artists. Many people don’t understand that there are children in other countries such as Afghanistan and Egypt who also want to live a normal life and express themselves through music. Many Americans have the narrow perspective that the whole world listens to the same music that they do, but that’s not true. ‘Rebel Music’ will show American teens and youth that there is others out there that are just like them. I think this show is a good idea because it not only shows cultural awareness as well as introduce Americans to different kinds of music. I’ve always believed that music helps create connections amongst people because it is something everyone can enjoy together. This television show will be able to connect teens from countries on opposite sides of the world through music and their personal expression.

My article was “Humans at Helm: Is Any Flight Safe?” by Neil Genzlinger. In his article, he commented on the new series “Terror in the Skies”, which is a tv show about plane crashes and malfunctions, and about the growing familiarity to airplane calamities due to cellphones and such. It not only shows footage taken from cellphones, but also has footage of pilots having in-flight breakdowns, and other flaws.

While I am usually all for not lying, and telling the truth; I think that in this case, this series might be a bad idea. In this series, they are exposing all the flaws and dangers to travel by air. By doing so, not only can they discourage people from traveling in the air, but it will also provide unncessary paranoia to people who do decide to travel by air. No matter how much the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board vouches for air travel, she cannot say with absolute certainty that traveling by air will be 100% safe.

Also, by airing this kind of TV series, I believe that it might also cause society as a whole to become more desensitized towards these types of calamities. People will start to think that it is natural for things such as these to happen. “It happens on TV all the time, it’s no big deal”. When thoughts like that are said, society generally tends to move in a negative direction. This doesn’t only go for airplane calamities; it goes for global warming, extinction of animals, among others. As people are exposed more and more to certain things, they will become used to it; causing them to become desensitized.

On September 24^th, 2013 UCLA hosted an event to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival). From the start of the event, it was a success; the line that people were waiting on to get into the building stretched along the plaza in front of the Vertical Campus. At one point, I was worried as to whether or not I would be able to go in due to the huge popularity of the event.

When I finally got in, the event didn’t let me down. The interior was really packed; I had to stand because there were no more available seats. I believe that they even had to turn away the people who were further back in the line.

Our hosts had a variety of plans that managed to keep the large and diverse audience entertained. There were multiple performances by a dance group, a performance by Austin Luu, a fellow Baruch student, a performance by an elderly Chinese group, and games that kept the audience involved and entertained.

The dance group was split up into different sections, and performed at various points throughout the event. The choreography was amazing. The team was met with enthusiasm every time they performed.

Austin performed one of his own song; “Colorblind”. His charisma and performance managed to captivate the audience. The audience was swaying along to the rhythm of “Colorblind”.

The elderly Chinese group performed two instrumentals that were met with enthusiastic applause.

The games that were hosted were met with a lot of laughter and enthusiasm.

There was a game, which was designed for couples, which brought about a ton of enthusiasm and applause. The girlfriend was supposed to put make-up on the boyfriend, and the prettiest boyfriend won. This was very popular with the audience.

Overall, the event was definitely a tremendous success. The audience enjoyed it, and the UCLA members themselves enjoyed it also.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/fashion/As-Popularity-Grows-So-Do-Fashion-Museums.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Although most museums are dedicated to art, the world is seeing a rise in fashion museums. Many museums will have the occasional exhibit for fashion, but those that exclusively display fashion exhibits appear to be a rarity. Despite it being a little bit harder to encounter a fashion museum, some feel that their general atmosphere is more pleasant than a standard museum. Olivier Saillard, the director of Paris’s Musée Galliera, says that fashion museums are a friendly way to educate people on what’s being worn in the world. In addition to the one in Paris, some fashion museums can be found in New York, Santiago, London, and Belgium. There’s even a handbag museum, (The Simone Handbag Museum) in Seoul!

I think it’s wonderful that fashion is able to make its way into the educational circles. Museums are a great way for people to learn about fashion, and may also serve as a pathway for people to discover other disciplines of art. In any case, the idea of a fashion museum is certainly novel, and I hope their openings encourage other lesser known subjects to be made into museums as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/arts/music/at-a-festival-molly-danced-but-didnt-cut-in.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1380590487-8Keso/JlP20t6heRbXPUnQ

Drug related deaths have been prevalent lately, and with all of the hype surrounding ecstasy, many events have upped the security in when large amounts of people are expected to attend. TomorrowWorld, the American version of the Belgian music festival, TomorrowLand, took place in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Molly, the colloquial term for MDMA, is a dangerous psychoactive drug that is known for the effects of empathy it evokes among its users. While many of the festival-goers attend solely for the musical performances, some claim that drugs enhance these performances. Although the organizers advertised a zero-tolerance policy toward drugs, some of the festival-goers estimated that half of those in attendance were using MDMA. While some of the attendees claim that ecstasy is harmless if used correctly, others feel that use of drugs in music festivals tarnishes the reputation of its true spirit—music!

In my opinion, there’s only so much that the organizers can do to prevent drugs from entering their events. It seems as though those in charge of TomorrowWorld really tried to secure the location, but the festivalgoers were adamant in using ecstasy. Unfortunately, ecstasy is really dangerous, and has been known to cause death in certain circumstances. Users take it knowing the risk. I don’t see events like this ever becoming completely drug free, but I don’t think that they enhance the nature of the performances.