Archive for October 18th, 2012
Revolutionary By Chance: A Closer Look at John Cage
To many, John Cage seems the archetypal modern artist – a self-indulgent pseudo-intellectual who justifies his pretentious work with esoteric notions. Given that his most famous musical work is “4’33’’,” a piece in three movements consisting of four minutes and 33 seconds of the performer playing absolutely nothing, it’s understandable that his work invites eye-rolling [...]
Some Projects Need More Work
For those looking for a show about independent women, “The Mindy Project” is not for you. Its rom-com premise is similar to that of many other shows: a successful woman looking for Mr. Right, who (what do you know?) happens to be a doctor. She also happens to be “man-crazy,” thinking of nothing else but [...]
The Dirty Bird Nests On Chambers Street
Chambers Street is lined with restaurant after restaurant, but it’s easy to grow accustomed to the selection and find yourself in a set routine. Most Stuyvesant students, for instance, have worked out a small handful of places that they make sure to hit during their lunch periods and after school almost ritualistically. That’s why it’s [...]
A Love Letter to the Unloved Teens
Misfits all over the world have taken comfort in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 novel chronicling self-professed “wallflower” Charlie after a nervous breakdown in his freshman year of high school. It’s been praised and banned for its honest look at issues that are often swept under the rug, such as depression, [...]
An Ode To Eggplant Parm
No matter who you are or what walk of life you come from, deep down in your heart, you know that there is nothing quite as rewarding, as wholly engrossing, emotionally liberating, and viscerally satisfying as good Eggplant Parm. Whether stolen from the fridge cold in the dead of night, or served aside a warm [...]
Origins of Originality
One would never assume that the rhinestone, considered tacky and cheap by many, could be used as an art tool. Viewing the work of Mickalene Thomas can easily change this perception. In the Brooklyn-based artist’s newest exhibit, “The Origins of the Universe,” rhinestones adorn many larger-than-life works. They sparkle under dim lights, accentuating the subjects’ [...]
Someone Get This Show a Doctor
In a hazy background, a little girl stands out clearly, alone and lost in a vast meadow. She stumbles upon a dead man, as a voiceover announces that this moment plays a significant role in the narrator’s childhood. Unlike most children, she crouches down, touches the man’s face, examines his cuts and bruises, and closes [...]
Caught on the Web: The Sexcapade From Hell
Being shipped off to a mansion for an indefinite amount of time for a reality television show focused entirely on hypersexual encounters between housemates may sound ludicrous to some, but it may sound like any reality show to others. Satirical giant “The Onion” proves to viewers of “The Sex House” that it is anything but [...]
Ranking Upwards
Six times during the school year, always to mixed emotions, is report card day. We receive a sheet of paper that holds our class averages, teachers’ comments, and overall GPA—a culmination of a marking period of dedication and struggle. In such a competitive environment, grades are incredibly important to most students, who always look for [...]
Grading the Grade System
With their heads bent, hiding something in their laps, students are rapidly punching buttons—but it’s not a cell phone they’re using – it’s a calculator. At Stuyvesant, many students are plagued with the belief that numbers define the future that lies ahead of them, constantly crunching the numbers to assess their GPA down to the [...]
