it's been a while since I've worn a polo shirt

And so it begins.

The area closed off for the debate has the feeling of a movie set. Stages and displays are being set up, trucks are everywhere, and there is a Budweiser tent. Random people are walking around with credentials. The crews for all the networks were friendly, some of the suits not so much.

The Media Filing Center volunteers reported to Information and Hospitality room i.e. the concession stand of the PFC. At the desks busily working was Lindsey Calabrese and Ellen Frisina. Myself and the other volunteers began the day handing out hospitality bags to the media. Inside was filled with the typical swag, including r,w, and b m&m's, and leaflets about Hofstra. Melissa and I stood outside from 10:30 until close to 1 giving out bags pretty to whoever had a badge and wanted them.

Bless her heart, Jacqueline Hlavenka of The (Hofstra) Chronicle was walking around in wedges trying to get pictures.

Saw Becca Bellush, President of PRSSA at Hofstra. She landed a big task - she is working in the Media Office at University Relations. While I was handing out bags from a cart, she was compiling Media Binders. That's why rank and titles come in handy then.

It's a fun atmosphere. The magical blue polo of the student volunteers unites us all for a common cause. The revered yellow polo of the IT guys we feel jealousy towards since they get to actually be in the Debate Hall.

Some of the volunteers were able to sneak in to see the Debate Hall. When it comes down to it, it's a small stage with a bright blue backdrop, in a huge arena for 5,000 +.

One trife female reporter in a red satin trench (?) took about 4 and would go inside and back out to collect them. CNN complained that they received hospitality bags without these cheap portable laptop lights Verizon Wireless donated. Verizon gave us about 3,000 and we had 5,000 bags to fill. They made the girls comb through 30 bags so thier keyboards can be further illuminated despite the blaring overhead lights. It was a quiet day, so they actually let us leave early. I got a swag bag, a copy of today's NYT and The New York Observer.


During lunch I grabbed my Secret Service Credentials. All the volunteers were grieving that they used our Student ID pic taken during our Freshmen Summer Orientation oh so long ago.

Tomorrow night should be more exciting since it is the night of.

The ironic thing about this week is that as we are missing classes and putting all hw aside...we have midterms in one week.

what a BUY

Greg and I went in to the city before the BODB launch party to Aperture Foundation and gallery in Chelsea. On display was Josef Koudelka's Invasion 68: Prague. In short, it consisted of 250 moving photographs of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague. The photographs were smuggled out and until now were labeled anonymous.

Aperture also publishes great photography books. Here are a few on the wish list.


Erwin Olaf takes these beautiful and serene photographs that transport you to the 1950's .

Thomas Allen's Uncovered brings characters to life. The use of pop-up images from books creates a fun, toylike demeanor.




The BODB launch party was glorious - "critical party mass" according to Sara. Evidently I can sumbit an entry if I do please (which I do).
We left the party late & got stuck in Jamaica for over an hour. I got back to my dorm at 5:30, got three hours of sleep, went to work, came home only to more work.

Tomorrow is the first day as a Debate '08 volunteer.
Prepare yourself with exciting political posts.

this is what you get...

My friend Sara doesn't believe how excited I am for the Buy Or Don't Buy blog launch party tonight. They made a new layout, and oh, it's pretty snazzy. Tonight will be the equivalent of meeting not-so-famous-celebrities-your-friends-never-heard-of, sorry guys. See you tonight.

Sara also gets brownie points for showing me another nifty music site. I thought Last FM was glorious, but the sixtyone: the music adventure brings music listening to a new level. Now music listening is an interactive game that sucks you in to compete with fellow music snobs.

You create an account and listen to music that artists upload onto the website. You earn points according to what you listen to and recommend to other users. The obvious trick is the more obscure and unknown the artists, the more points. I signed up this morning, so I'm just on the "listen up level". You can browse music according to genre and even sub genre, which I definitely appreciate.

Could you tell this was a result of paint?

obviously, right?

mtvU and Santa Claus come to Hofstra

This morning I was walking from class to the Honors College Office when I saw a crowd in front of Axinn Library. A film crew was filming an intro for mtvU's "Dean's List" with a varied demographic of Hofstra students (whoever they could find) in the shot. University Relations was involved, represented by Lindsey Calabrese. As I was snapping pictures on my phone, I got to hear Calabrese school Sam Rubenfeld, Senior Editor of the Hofstra Chronicle, about media ethics ( a girl was filming for a documentary and she wanted to be in the shot, Rubenfeld went on about a code of ethics involved).
Surprisingly enough, there were a lot of "McCain" chants.


Sadly enough, the crew did not capture Mike LaFemina dressed as Santa for PSU's "Energy Theater". Headed by Progressive Student's Union (PSU), the group "works collectively on generating awareness of energy issues before the third and final debate arrives at the University." (Thank you Chronicle). Today's act was called "Clean Coal is as Real as Santa Claus". (there was concern about the day care groups of young children wandering the campus).

IT'S COMING!!!!!!!

it's "drink a whole carton of oj" season

Last night I became full aware of my incompetence at driving around aimlessly on Long Island. I was supposed to meet my Media Relations class at Newsday in Melville. I was lost for about two hours. I saw a corn maize, Walt Whitman's birth place, and my life flash before my eyes as I drove the wrong way down a one way road. After a while and many tears of frustration later, I gave up, somehow ended up driving by Jones Beach and rolled the windows down to smell salt water. That familiar smell of home and blasting angry punk music from Last FM when I got back helped me get over the driving disaster.

I'm from DE, there is a reason why there is a joke that if somewhere is more than twenty minutes away, we choose to stay home.

edit: 10/10/08 - I am terrible at returning phone calls, so I have my family read my blog so they feel like they are a part of my life (sad, isnt' it?). After reading this, my mom send an e-mail to me. Hopefully she won't be too upset at me for showing off her loving motherness:

Greetings!

	Inbox		X

Imagine you might be getting a little crazy now with the debate upcoming. Wish I had the guts to experience it, but not sure I would want to be anywhere close to that campus these days. My great claim to fame was when I got to shake hands with Bobby Kennedy in Watertown, SD. Obviously that was before he was shot. Those were the days when the secret service weren't quite so in your face.

Got a little bit ... no a lot scared when I was looking at your blog about your driving around aimlessly in Long Island. Please, Please, Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease be careful, responsible, etc. Someone has to help eat all that pie at Thanksgiving. I want you to make sure you have good maps if and when you head out. Why was it that you had to drive there anyway? Didn't they go as a group? That car is old and it needs its rest.

Wanted to give you a call but decided to send an email instead. Don't know if you are crazy with debate, classes, radio, clubs, socializing, studying or getting some rest. Take care, love you. Mom

Speaking of which, I guess I was last to jump on the Last FM bandwagon. The presence of it on my desktop has filled a void I never knew existed. Now everyone who wanders on the site can criticize me for my obscure and random music tastes.

This is the perfect example of bringing classiness to dorm life. Ever wondered how to pair fast food with wine? My friends and I are experts on take out and wine pairing.

Had PRestige and PRSSA meetings today. The client I want, Destination Runway, is scaring off people because of the upcoming deadline, November 4th. What we need to do as an agency is brianstorm creative ways for students in order to build excitement for the event. We shall see. I need to create a contract and meet with the e-board again and blah blah blah

Every day I think of my dream to drop out of school and become a bohemian artist who lives in a box on Bedford Ave.

Hofstra Association of Graphic Artists (HAGA) had thier opening show in the FORM Gallery in Calkins this morning. They display variious ways to use design in terms of merchandise. It's interesting and a world I only know a little about. Check it out.


golly gee...i wonder what the next FORM show...could it be mine?



Oh, and guess what is coming?

"eggs....?"

I think it's safe to say I will never look at Jell-o the same way again. Thank you Bedford House for giving me the experience last night of having jello sprayed on me due to my front row seat for one of the most ridiculous spectacles I've seen at any Hofstra party for a while.

I have to admit it: Jell-o wrestling + "Pride" colored jungle juice = a glorious time.

Yay college.

A random blog I stumbled upon this morning: "Marc and Angel Hack Life" lists 30 books everyone should read. The blog gives the author and plot of each book. The titles enlarged are ones I have read, the italicized are ones I actually own but haven't gotten around to reading.

1. Siddhartha 2. 1984 3. To Kill a Mockingbird 4. A Clockwork Orange 5. For Whom the Bell Tolls 6. War and Peace 7. The Rights of Man 8. The Social Contract 9. One Hundred Years of Solitude 10. The Origin of Species 11. The Wisdom of the Desert 12. The Tipping Point 13. The Wind in the Willows 14. The Art of War 15. The Lord of the Rings 16. David Copperfield 17. Four Quartets 18. Catch-22 19. The Great Gatsby 20. The Catcher in the Rye 21. Crime and Punishment 22. The Prince 23. Walden 24. The Republic 25. Lolita 26. Getting Things Done 27. How To Win Friends and Influence People 28. Lord of the Flies 29. The Grapes of Wrath 30. The Master and Margarita

six books....wow that's lame.

I'm working on this little number for Chinese Lit.

yes that is a toy wooden train.

I had to make mixes for evergreens yesterday for "Sidetrack" (little project Sara is putting together for WRHU)
and so I have two random cds if anyone wants one. Each evergreen had a theme, so one cd is "shuffle" with random but really good songs. The other is "shame": if you feel a need to make me feel humiliated, def pick that one.

I'm forcing myself to run away to the city a few times this week before Debate '08 takes over my life; hopefully there will be something more interesting to write about.
gasps : museums!!!