The Government Shutdown is Over, but Penn Still Feels The Aftershock
(01/30/19 6:51am)
The day before the government shutdown, Louis Lin (C ‘20) updated his voicemail:
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All I Did at Penn Was Get By. I'm Okay With That.
(01/30/19 2:21am)
If you saw me walking down Locust today, you’d probably see me as a short, quiet, baby–faced, curly–haired, racially ambiguous woman with muscular legs and tattoos. But to the few people here on campus that know me beyond that, I’m also a first–generation, low–income, city kid from Chicago with social anxiety.
What to Expect From Philly Theater Week
(01/30/19 3:47am)
Philadelphia is grossly underrated as an arts city. I mean, how often do you think about the fact that we just so happen to have a Van Gogh sunflower painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or that the walls of the Barnes Foundation are dripping with Matisse and Cézanne paintings. Moreover, the City of Brotherly Love is a hub for the performing arts as well, with comedy clubs and small theaters galore. In order to celebrate the theater scene of Philly and the tri–state area, Theater Philadelphia is bringing back Philly Theater Week, which aims to make theater more accessible to the local community.
Vulnerability Shines on Sharon Van Etten’s 'Remind Me Tomorrow'
(01/24/19 2:25am)
“I told you everything about everything,” sings Sharon Van Etten on “I Told You Everything” — the lead track of her latest album, Remind Me Tomorrow. This simple statement foreshadows the purpose of her sixth album, which departs from Van Etten’s classic acoustic sound. It’s a confessional, capturing the cluttered emptiness of her new life. Even the album cover, which appears like a cluttered Norman Rockwell painting, hints at this chaos. There’s children and costume pieces strewn all over a floor, alluding to the children (and acting career) she had while on a musical hiatus. Remind Me Tomorrow showcases Van Etten–a near-legend in the world of folk-rock–at her most introspective.
7 COLORS Performances You Have to Watch
(01/22/19 2:46am)
As someone always looking for different ways to stumble upon new artists, I’ve experimented with a bunch of different platforms to do so, from Spotify’s somewhat disappointing “Made for You” playlists to NPR’s classic Tiny Desk Concerts. Finding the YouTube channel COLORS was like discovering a hidden gem that not only expanded my musical palette by introducing me to up–and–coming artists, but also engaged my visual senses in a way that I had never experienced before. Driven by their motto, “all COLORS, no genres,” COLORS is a YouTube channel based in Berlin, Germany that showcases performances of artists from different genres in an aesthetically pleasing space that matches their vibe with associated colors. I’ve narrowed down seven of my favorite performances from hundreds of videos to get you started:
What to Read After Finishing Michelle Obama's 'Becoming'
(01/22/19 3:05am)
This winter break it seemed like everyone and their mother (myself included) was reading Michelle Obama’s new memoir, Becoming. It's become a best–seller internationally, topping book charts in eleven countries and being published in 31 languages. It was the best-selling book of 2018, and stops on her book tour have attracted thousands. However, for Obama, it's not about the money or the recognition. Simply put, she said, "If I want anything to come from [Becoming], I want us to share our stories with each other. That's what we're missing, right now...and I think people are hungry for that."
I Tried to Understand the ASMR Phenomenon by Making My Own Video
(02/23/19 1:51am)
I am an ASMR junkie. My love affair began one fateful night, when my insomnia was in high gear. I'd been hearing about ASMR and its sleep–inducing effects, but I'd never actually watched a full video. That night, I watched an hour–long compilation and although it didn’t help me sleep, it did make me feel safe and relaxed.
Overheards 12.05.2018
(12/05/18 6:19am)
4th Wave Feminist: I had a dream that a man hit on me. Then I castrated him.
A Balancing Act: Being Black, Gay, and Female
(12/05/18 1:00pm)
Growing up in a homogeneous, traditional suburb of Georgia, intersectionality was a concept I didn’t hear about often, let alone understood fully until coming to Penn. But upon reflection, it was the word I had been looking for to describe most of my life.
Roundup of the Most Underrated Tiny Desk Concerts of 2018
(12/04/18 1:00pm)
The concept of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series is simple: musicians from all different genres are invited to perform an intimate concert at the desk Bob Boilen, the host of NPR’s All Songs Considered. Only at a Tiny Desk Concert can we experience T–Pain’s “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” without any special effects, or see Tyler the Creator use the desk itself as a stage for his performance, setting up lights with varying shades of bright colors to reflect the themes of his “Flower Boy” album. However, these two sets are amongst the most popular of Tiny Desk Concerts; T–Pain’s video has over 13 million views and Tyler’s has almost seven million. Here are five underrated, equally as great, Tiny Desk Concerts that you need to check out from this year:
Hacking Your Favorite Fast Food for Your Health
(12/07/18 1:00pm)
When it’s almost midnight and you’re walking around campus on an empty stomach, nothing seems more tempting than walking into your favorite fast food joint to grab a meal that you will most likely regret 20 minutes later. The prices that come with convenience at many fast food restaurants are the extra calories, high sodium content, and grams of fat from eating fried and processed products. But not all hope is lost. There are ways to make these cheap and easy places somewhat healthy as well, so if you’re looking to count your calories and get your nutrients in while saving money, here’s how to get the best out of the fast food spots on campus.
The Official Guide to Campus Hot Cocoa
(12/07/18 1:00pm)
Hot chocolate—the drink of choice for second grade Polar Express viewings, holiday party pre–games, and every cold day ever. Essentially the official drink of winter, hot cocoa is synonymous with happiness and holiday tidings. A good cup has enough nostalgia to transport me back to Christmas morning 2007, when I wore a festive onesie, received four new Bratz dolls, and had no idea what on–campus recruiting was. In other words, hot chocolate is light and nostalgia–ridden—perfect for a college student wading through finals season.
A Pillsbury Holiday Cookie Recipe with a Vegan Twist
(11/30/18 1:00pm)
The holidays are upon us and with them are seasonal activities, bitterly cold days, and the infamous Pillsbury cookies. You know—the pre–cut, circular sugar cookies, complete with screened–on pictures of holiday iconography like reindeer, snowmen, and elf hats. A fixture of my childhood, I haven’t had one in over five years on account of my veganism. So, this Thanksgiving break, I embarked on the culinary challenge of creating a vegan cookie that could replicate the vanilla, simple, and addictive quality of the Pillsbury brand.
Protecting Your Ears from Concerts and Gigs
(11/30/18 1:00pm)
It’s a generally accepted part of the concert experience: you’re walking out of the venue after the encore, and as you step out onto the street, every sound is muffled save for a buzzing in your ears, the aftereffects of standing next to a speaker for the better part of the evening. You’ll go home, sleep it off, and everything will be normal in the morning.
Growing Up, I Distanced Myself From My Judaism. The Pittsburgh Shooting Changed That.
(11/28/18 1:00pm)
That Saturday morning in late October, I remember waking up to CNN alerts on my phone—I was immediately filled with the sense of dread that comes with mass shooting. The same thoughts crossed my mind that always do, as America’s processing of these killings becomes ritualistic: where was it? How many died? Were there any children? Who did it? Why?
‘Boy Erased’ Reflects on the Horrors of Conversion Therapy
(11/27/18 12:00pm)
The coming–of–age of a LGBT teenager in a religious household is not a premise that is unfamiliar to audiences of contemporary film and television. As the seed of interpersonal and ideological conflict, the religious experiences of those in the LGBT community spur meaningful discussions around identity, family, self–acceptance, and, of course, love. The exploration of how religion shapes the experiences of young people within the LGBT community, and the potential trauma that might entail, can be enormously valuable for all viewers no matter what their background or identity. In recent years, the traditional canon of coming–of–age stories has expanded enormously as LGBT representation in film continues to grow, with many new classics emerging, garnering critical acclaim and stacking up awards. Based on a true story, Boy Erased provides a crucial look at a dimension of the contemporary LGBT experience that many of us forget has affected hundreds of thousands of Americans—the continued practice of conversion therapy, which proves particularly detrimental to LGBT youth.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals to Keep You Balling on a Budget
(11/22/18 5:08am)
Let’s face it: living on a budget as a college student isn't always glamorous. That’s why when Thanksgiving rolls around, while I look forward to pumpkin pie and family time, the highlight of my week will be taking advantage of all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that are up for grabs. If you’ve been dying for some new tech, some pieces to change up your wardrobe, or appliances for your dorm or apartment, this is the week to go all out.
What to Do This Holiday Season in Philadelphia
(11/20/18 3:15pm)
Winter has arrived, friends. Don’t believe me? Take a look around. Temperatures are dropping faster than GPAs. But seriously, winter is here. And she did not come to play.
Jon Bellion’s Unique Sound Shines in 'Glory Sound Prep'
(11/27/18 1:00pm)
Jon Bellion makes me genuinely happy. He reminds me of car rides home when my friend and I would sing every consecutive "low" in the chorus of “All Time Low” without pausing to breathe. Or my junior year spring break when I listened to the entirety of his first album, The Human Condition, six times. Fast–forward to November 9 when the rapper, singer, and songwriter dropped his second album Glory Sound Prep—I'm now ecstatic.
Your Friendsgiving in Philly, Planned
(11/20/18 3:09pm)
The Thanksgiving plans have been set. As people chat away about travel plans, family gatherings, or how they can't wait to be home, there's an eager expectation of relief in the air as break arrives. If you won’t be going home this Thanksgiving, maybe you haven’t quite decided what to do with these next few days. Relaxing with a couple of friends and embracing a bit of freedom from the stresses of Penn life may be the best plan.
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