MSM 2011 Fall 2 by Brian Morin

main street Fall 2011 Issue 2

12 Days of Christmas UNH Edition

Backcountry Nirvana Alpine Touring in New Hampshire

Occupy It All From Wall Street to Your Backyard

Get Baked

Holiday Cookie Recipes

Franz’s

A Foodie’s Paradise

Caffeinated Campus Buzzworthy Consumption

Vintage Markets

Thrifting in London

2011 Music Wrap-up

Kap Slap Black Keys Drake Coldplay Justice Deer Tick

issue 2 fall

Editor’s Note:

main street

When I went home over Thanksgiving break I found great food, family, and old friends waiting for me. But, I was also greeted by the dreaded “job” conversation. It didn’t matter where I went, at every grocery store, restaurant, and bar in town someone was asking me what I was going to do for a career after graduation and if I had a job. The first question is pretty easy, as I “know what I want to be when I grow up,” but the latter is a little more challenging. Assuming some of you might be feeling this same pressure, or other demands such as end of the semester tests, group projects, and papers, I wanted to impart this little bit of wisdom: take one thing at a time. Breathe. Do what makes you happy. Whether that’s going out in the snowy backcountry to ski (28), dancing the night away to mash-ups by Kap Slap (26), baking your favorite holiday cookies (16), or protesting with the rest of the 99% in the Occupy movement (24), we have it all here in this issue of MSM. What makes me happy is this magazine. Please flip through it when you’re too stressed to function and need a break during exams. Sometimes it’s good to have a distraction. xx Eliza Mackintosh Editor-in-Chief: Eliza Mackintosh Senior Editor: Alexandra Churchill Editors: Ian Ferguson, Kary McCafferty, Michelle Tremblay Photo Editor: Tynan DeBold Design Editors: Ella Nilsen, Brian Morin Contributing Writers: Alexandra Churchill, Sarah Cotton, Tynan DeBold, Jake DeSchuiteneer, Victoria Hanson, Travis Harsin, Taylor Lawrence, Eliza Mackintosh, Kary McCafferty, Ella Nilsen, Shane Noonan, Emily Reny, Dana Roach, Michelle Tremblay Contributing Photographers: Shannon Robertson, Sarah Cotton, Eliza Mackintosh Contributing Designers: Arly Maulana, Kimberlee Meserve, Katie Wisniewski Business Manager: Kelley Stenberg Printed by our friends at unh Printing Services, 10 West Edge Drive, Durham, NH The opinions expressed within Main Street are solely the opinions of the attributed writers and are not necessarily shared by Main Street magazine, Student Press Organization, SAFC, the University of New Hampshire, or anyone else, for that matter. Main Street magazine is funded entirely by your student activity fee and we would like to thank SAFC for continuing to fund this publication. www.unh.edu/mainstreet

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STEAL THIS MAGAZINE

24 REVIEWS 6 Film 7 Books 8 Music 14 Restaurants

FOOD

13 Franz’s Expansion 15 Bar Trivia 16 Holiday Cookie Recipe Guide

SATIRE

12 Twelve Days of (Almost) Christmas at UNH 34 Why Not to Study Abroad The harsh reality of coming home

ARTS & STYLE

18 Where Have Your Shoes Been? The tales of worn out soles 20 Zoological Fashion 21 UNH Fashion

26 Kap Slap An interview with rising DJ Jared Lucas

PHOTOSPREAD 22 New York City Crossing a City Scape: Skyscrapers, Bridges, and Brooklyn

FEATURES

24 Occupy It All From Wall Street to Burlington, VT 28 Backcountry Nirvana Alpine touring in New Hampshire 30 Long Distance Relationships How to make them work for you 36 Candlelight Stroll: A historic walk back in time at Portsmouth’s Strawberry Banke 38 Caffeinated Campus UNH’s Buzzworthy caffeine con-

sumption and why we can’t get enough Red Bull

TRAVEL

32 London’s Open-Air Markets Four of the best spots for fashionistas and foodies

REGULAR SUSPECTS 4 Contributors 5 Staff Picks 43 Student Spotlight: Nolan Russell

ON THE COVER What’s on the cover of MSM? An illuminated Christmas tree and present courtesy of an iconic throwback gift: the Lite-Brite. From the whole Main Street magazine family we wish you a happy holiday season and New Year! 3

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CONTRIBUTORS 1 Ian Ferguson. 2 Eliza Mackintosh. 3 Allie Churchill. 4 Shannon Robertson. 5 Jake DeShuiteneer. 6 Kary McCafferty. 7 Ella Nilsen. 8 Michelle Tremblay. 9 Arly Maulana. 10 Dana Roach. 11 Victoria Hanson. 12 Brian Morin. 13 Taylor Lawrence. 14 Travis Harsin. 15 Sarah Cotton. 16 Olivia Whitton. 17 Tynan DeBold. 18 Katie Wisniewski. 19 Kimberlee Meserve. 20 Shane Noonan. 21 Emily Reny. 4

Staff Picks

Things MSM Staff Loves Right Now My new Express Fitted 1MX shirts are more than worth the number of bargain seeking moms I had to fight for a spot in line this Black Friday. They fit well and are almost more comfortable than wearing nothing. --Brian

Animal Prints.

Feelin’ kinda like a biddie, but I don’t care! This recent obsession of mine has resulted in the purchasing of a matching zebra print lunch bag and tumbler. I am particularly fond of leopard and zebra, not sure where this love came from but I cannot get enough! I also have print shirts, socks, leopard umbrella, and cannot wait to expand! --Kary

There is not enough curry on this planet to make me sick of Indian food. My favorite establishment is Taste of India in Dover and if I could eat any one dish everyday for the rest of my life it would be their Chicken Makhani. Their food is always delicious, the environment feels authentic, and the staff is warm and welcoming. They have a Sunday lunch buffet for under $10! Check it out soon, you’ll probably see me there. --Michelle

Polaroids.

I found an old Polaroid camera lying around in my attic and became obsessed with the instant gratification and vintage look - too bad the film is so expensive. For people who want that classic fade without the expense, use online programs such as Poladroid or iPhone applications like ShakeItPhoto to edit your own digital pictures. If you do have money to burn, Polaroid has even come out with a next generation “Instant” digital camera merging classic and convenience for $299.99. --Eliza

“Big Girls, Small Kitchen” Blog. The new Droid RAZR because it’s made with gorilla glass and that just sounds cool. --Ian

Dunkaroos used

to be my favorite snack in my lunchbox all throughout gradeschool. I recently bought some in the grocery store, and now I am addicted. I don’t know how I ever stopped eating these. --Tynan

I’m no culinary connoisseur and when it comes to do-it-yourself cooking, I could use the help. That’s where BGSK comes in. Co-founded by two college girls, BGSK is a guide to cooking, eating, and drinking on and off campus, with recipes and tips uploaded by contributing college-age cooks across the country. From dining hall do-it-yourself recipes to decorating your first off-campus kitchen, if it’s campus food, they’ve got you covered. --Allie I recently discovered the work of JR, a French photographer who does incredible - and illegal - public photo installations across the world. This includes the “Women are Heroes” series, huge photos installed on the sides of Rio’s oldest favela, Morro da Providencia. The photo subjects are women who live in the favela. Inspiring and beautiful work. --Ella

Movie Reviews J. Edgar Directed by: Clint Eastwood Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio,

Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts Let me start by saying that Leonardo DiCaprio looks good in anything, except for his latest flick to hit theaters, J. Edgar, in which slabs of makeup were required to transform him into elderly J. Edgar Hoover. The same can be said for Armie Hammer, who plays Hoover’s second-incommand and lover, Clyde Tolson. However, in all of the other shots of Leo and Armie, as well as the rest of the extraordinarily goodlooking cast (including Josh Lucas and Ed Westwick), they all look handsome and smart in their three-piece suits and suspenders. The attractiveness of the cast is probably the only thing that kept me engaged throughout the entire movie, though, since the whole thing sort of felt like

something I’d watch in history class. DiCaprio and Hammer are phenomenal in their parts, as is Naomi Watts who plays Hoover’s secretary, but the script doesn’t give them much to work with and the extensive amount of time spent within the walls of the FBI offices started to make me feel trapped. J. Edgar follows the title character through his 48 years as the face of the law, centering on his involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping case and the arrests of several public enemies including John Dillinger. At the same time, we see Hoover meet and develop a friendship (and eventually a relationship) with Armie Hammer’s character Clyde. The chemistry between the two

actors is there and makes the immediate bond between the two very apparent, though the relationship is depicted very conservatively by director Clint Eastwood. Armie Hammer is the unsung hero of the movie as he plays Clyde Tolson with a confident air, not stealing the scenes, but making his presence known in every shot. While Leonardo DiCaprio over-acts in some places, Hammer maintains his grace and keeps up with his costar, even reining him in when necessary. The story of J. Edgar Hoover could have been made into a livelier movie, had it been given a smarter script, one with a joke

every once and a while. The interrupting voice of DiCaprio’s Hoover between every scene is unnecessary and would have been better served at the beginning and end of the film. It isn’t all bad, though. Like I said, there’s an attractive cast. And there are some stunning moments where the portrayal of Depression-era America is perfect. If you’re a history buff or someone looking for a film that takes some thought, J. Edgar isn’t a bad pick. But, be warned, you may want to bring a pillow if Leo and Armie’s handsome faces aren’t enough to keep you entertained for the lengthy twohour film.

-Olivia Whitton

Hugo Directed by: Martin Scorsese Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe

Grace Moretz, Jude Law

In a departure from his classic blood and gore productions like Mean Streets, director Martin Scorsese turns out a winning family film for this holiday season in the 3-D Hugo. In an effort to make a film his 12-year-old daughter could watch, Scorsese succeeded in producing more than that: something viewers of all ages can enjoy. At the heart of this film is also Scorsese’s dedication to restoring films and the memory of their filmmakers. Hugo is an adaptation of Brian Selznick’s graphic novel, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” a fairytale based on French filmmaker Georges Méliès, known for his development of special effects in the early 1900s. The film Hugo as a whole is somewhat of a resurrection of Mé-

liès’s films, which are spliced throughout. The film is the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), an orphaned boy who lives in the Montparnasse train station in Paris fixing clocks. Before his father (Jude Law) dies in a tragic fire, he shows Hugo a robotic man called an automaton. After his fathers’ death, Hugo sets out to fix the automaton by stealing and in doing so runs into the station’s inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), Méliès’s niece (Chloë Grace Moretz), and eventually comes to the realization that the grumpy old shopkeeper (Ben Kingsley) was once the famous filmmaker Méliès. Although Hugo is appropriate for children, it is a must see for film studies majors. Even

if you aren’t a film enthusiast, at the very least you will enjoy watching Cohen act as something other than Borat, or some other caricature of himself. -Eliza Mackintosh

I Read (Okay, Skimmed...) Them to Save You the Misery:

A Holiday Shopping Guide to Celebrity Memoirs

by Olivia Whitton

Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life In the Streets by Tip “T.I.” Harris with David Ritz

This novel (if that’s what you want to call it) is divided into two parts with each narrated by one of the cleverly named title characters: Power and Beauty. Power is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks that finds himself orphaned and hopelessly in love with his foster sister (creepy, right?). Beauty, his foster sister, narrates the second half of the book. Complete with very graphic “love” scenes and sleazy lines like, “You should see the faces of those greedy hoes who come at me with their fancy lawyers. I just kick back, wave my papers, and laugh my ass off,” this is NOT a book for children. Correction, it is not a book for anybody. Buy this book for: a troubled teenaged cousin who could use something to make him think his acne is not the worst problem a 17-year-old cousin could have.

Seriously...I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen’s book is funny, but only because I can hear her high-pitched, kind of Southern accent reading the lines to me. Other than that, Seriously...I’m Kidding tries very hard and achieves mediocre results. However, there are a few lines that made me LOL, including one in the chapter on “How to Be A Supermodel,” that states, “Carry a giant oscillating fan with you at all times. No exceptions!” The whole book is very random and not in a good Bossypants kind of way. Buy this book for: your wacky aunt who probably leaves her office job every day in time to catch The Ellen Show at 4 p.m. sharp.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling, the comedian and actress who plays Kelly Kapoor on The Office, is just as hilarious in print as she is in person. Allow me to prove my thesis with these gem excerpts, “They say the best revenge is living well. I say, it’s acid in the face--who will love them now…?” “At Dartmouth College, I was freakin’ Jaws in a community swimming pool…” “My Will & Grace spec was a disaster. In an attempt to achieve the cheeky, gay-centric tone of the show, I had written a sample so over-the-top offensively gay that it actually reads like a propaganda sketch to incite antigay sentiment.” Also, her alternate book titles, which she shares with us in the second chapter are hilarious, from “The Girl With No Tattoo,” and “I Don’t Know How She Does It, But I Suspect She Gets Help From Illegal Immigrants.” Buy this book for: yourself… who said the holidays were limited to buying gifts for other people?

Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails & Getting My Sexy Back by Kendra Wilkinson with Jared Shapiro

First of all, can we just take a second to look at the title of this book? Seriously? Kendra, who apparently is a New York Times Bestselling Author, covers a broad range of topics in this book, but it seems that everything she has to say somehow winds up back to the very uncomfortable topic of her sex life with her husband Hank. The only redeeming quality I could find was the photo spread of Kendra’s son, Hank Jr., who is now in the running for cutest celebrity child of the year. Buy this book for: your booze-heavy female friend who likes to pretend she’s a Playboy Bunny… it’s practically a how-to manual.

Kris Jenner...and All Things Kardashian by Kris Jenner

I literally cannot bring myself to write anything about this book because it seems to only exist to bring the Kardashian family yet more money. Buy this book for: someone you know that is determined to fund more of Kris and Ko.’s (see what I did there?) multi-million dollar marriages that are bound to end in divorce three months later.

Confessions of A Guidette by Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

And, we’ve arrived at the cream of the premature, drought-ridden, unable-to-grow-properly crop of celebrity books. Snooki has assembled us an in-depth guide on how to be a guidette straight out of the J-Shore. Because isn’t that, really, the million dollar question? Here are some gems from within the glossy, pink-infused pages, “Vin Diesel is a hot ape” ... “When it’s hot, my pouf gets exhausted” ... and “Your hair should make you six inches taller.” Probably my favorite piece of advice is this, though, “Be tan! Be brown! Be orange! Be anything other than pale!” I guess I don’t have much of a future as a guidette then... oh well. Maybe I could fit in as a Kardashian. Buy this book for: someone you love enough to hand over the secret of life.

MUSICREVIEWS = Classic

= Excellent

= Good-ish

= Meh...

= Shit-tastic

Drake has always been the ‘good guy’ of hip-hop. Whereas Kanye’s odes to Amber Rose on My Dark Twisted Fantasy conjured up terrifying images of an extremely unhealthy relationship, and Lil’ Wayne’s odes about trysts with thousands of nameless women conjure up boring sex on repeat, Drake is just trying to find something real in all the mess. He often sounds wounded and vulnerable in his newest, Take Care, as if his success is just a front he’s putting up. According to him, it’s a halfhearted attempt to impress women he doesn’t care about, nevertheless, the result is an excellent album. Drake’s common themes are fame, money, and women, but he keeps coming back to the last one. Whether it’s groupies, the girl of his dreams, or Rihanna (his short-lived and well-publicized heartbreak of last year), he’s fixated on love, or at least, his attempts to not be alone. The slow, sedated music of the album mirrors his lyrics. On the woozy, stilted track “Crew Love,” Drake gets help from collaborator Abel Tesfaye, front of Toronto-based The Weeknd. Tesfaye’s crystal clear voice and the trickle of piano keys are the only thing to snap you out of the dreamlike melody of the song. Other notable tracks include duet with Rihanna “Take Care,” and triumphant, loud “Lord Knows” with Rick Ross. This holiday season, if you feel like listening to a sexy man crooning to you about love, loss and his feelings, Take Care should be on your list. Ella Nilsen

Drake

“Take Care” Cash Money Records

French electro-house duo Justice is back at it with their second studio album Audio, Video, Disco. You may be familiar with their 2007 hit “D.A.N.C.E.” – a catchy song that combines electronic, funk, and dance rhythms with pop-y Michael Jackson-inspired lyrics. If this doesn’t ring a bell, the duo’s punchy Grammy-winning remix of MGMT’s “Electric Feel” might. By incorporating prominent bass lines and distorted synth sounds into electronic dance music, Justice has made itself a unique, distinguishable sound among today’s many run of the mill electronic artists.

Justice

“Audio, Video, Disco” Ed Banger Records 1/2 8

The group’s new album Audio, Video, Disco is far from your average electronic Euro-pop compilation. It’s apparent that members Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay carefully constructed the balance of new-age synthesized house sounds and instrumental 70s rock to achieve the album’s powerful tone. Slightly less abrasive and a bit more composed than Justice’s freshman release, Audio, Video, Disco begins with a lyric-free track fittingly called “Horsepower” that could make anyone put on their I’m-on-a-mission shoes for the three minutes and 40 seconds (or more). “Civilization,” released in March as the first single off the album, has similar vocal, lyric and melodic characteristics as songs by other electro-rock artists like MGMT or Empire of the Sun, with somewhat strange and impersonal lyrics like “In the silence, they bow to the call of the east / Tantalized and seduced by the demons released.” The instrumentals throughout the album’s tracks, however, give Justice a heavier and more mysterious feel than other artists of this genre. I’d say, with the duo’s bold and progressive sounds, they’re making progress. Michelle Tremblay

After two years, British pop-rock group Coldplay returns to the music world with their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto (pronounced “My-low Zy-letoe,” and no, I still have no idea what it means). With the publicity the band has gotten recently and a world tour looming, this album has a great deal to live up to. Does it meet those expectations? Yes and no. Most of the 14 songs (actually 11 since three are less than a minute) are more pop-oriented than their earlier material with acoustic tracks mixed in. The use of European-styled synthesizers gives the album a richer, ambient feel. I particularly enjoyed guitar work by Jonny Buckland on songs such as “Major Minus” and “Charlie Brown” as well. The two featured singles are “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” and “Paradise.” In “Every Teardrop,” lead singer Chris Martin sings “I shut the world outside until the lights come on / Maybe the streets alight, / Maybe the trees are gone, / I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song” while “Paradise” tells of a girl dealing with the hardships of life, who “ran away in her sleep / and dreamed of / Para-para-paradise.” Two other standouts are “Up in Flames” and “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart.” Mylo Xyloto is a solid entry into the Coldplay library, even if it doesn’t bring anything too original to the table. Casual listeners will probably have a lukewarm reaction to what’s here, but Coldplay fans should be quite pleased. Travis Harsin

Coldplay

“Mylo Xyloto” EMI Records 1/2

On the front of the liner notes that accompany Deer Tick’s new album, Divine Providence, there is simple message written in bold black letters: “You should play this fucker as loud as possible.” This is good advice. From the get-go, Divine Providence is a hard-rocking journey through sex, booze, and overall debauchery. For the most part, Deer Tick abandons the discreet acoustic balladry that characterized their previous releases, and replaces it with a more aggressive, amplified, rock band sound. In the heavy album opener, “The Bump,” lead singer Justin McCauley sings, “We’re full grown men, but we act like kids!” with a vocal rasp that sounds like a product of a bad hangover. In “Lets All Go to the Bar” the band channels the Ramones, and pays loving tribute to getting drunk. “Main Street” is one big lyrical reference to the Rolling Stones, and “Funny Word” is fueled some truly crunchy guitar riffs. Deer Tick does revisit their roots in places on the album. They confront the devil and the ghosts of the past in the melancholy and back-woodsy “Clownin’ Around,” and the lively album-closer, “Miss K” has an infectious country twang.

Deer Tick

“Divine Providence”

All in all, Divine Providence is not a musical venture that should be taken too seriously. But that isn’t a bad thing. Deer Tick is having fun on this album, and they want you to join them, get drunk, and turn it up loud. Jake DeSchuiteneer

Partisan Records 1/2

top SONG PICKS: {winter? Real Estate - “Wonder Years” A perfect, shimmering, tune. Take me with you, Real Estate, before my wonder years pass me by.

A$AP Rocky - “Palace” Swag, meet trill. A$AP Rocky’s new, colder strain of weed rap could flatten Wiz Khalifa in two seconds (let’s face it, he was never much competition anyways).

or whatever} by Ella Nilsen Azealia Banks - “212” “212” is the filthy, raunchy, and gleeful musical equivalent of 19 year old Azealia Banks stealing your lunch money and laughing about it after.

Florence + the Machine - “Shake it Out” (Benny Benassi Remix): Holy unleashed vocal cords. This remix is completely golden.

e p y H d l i u B s y e K k c a l B e Th o n i m a C l for E iteneer

u By: Jake DeSch

The past 18 months is going to be a tough act to follow for the Black Keys. The band’s sixth album, “Brothers,” which landed last May, launched the Akron blues-rock duo to all new heights of stardom. The album premiered at number three in the Billboard charts, and became the Keys best selling album by far, topping over 500,000 copies. The record won over a slew of new fans on behalf of its refined sound, which traded in the raw, buzz-saw blues-guitar tones of previous Keys albums for more cleaned up R&B grooves. After the album’s explosion of popularity, it seemed like the band was suddenly everywhere. They were nominated for five Grammys (winning one – Best Alternative Album). “Brothers” made the cut in nearly every critic’s end of the year top albums list. In January, the Keys were musical guests on Saturday Night Live. Hell, their song “Next Girl” was even used in a Cadillac commercial (which puts them in the hallowed company of other Cadillac sellouts like Led Zeppelin). Yes, the past year was very good to the Black Keys. So it makes sense that a sizable amount of hype has mounted in preparation for the release of their new album, “El Camino,” due to hit record shelves on December 6 (and inevitably, countless illegal file sharing sites way before then). It seems trite to say that the “pressure is on” for the Keys to release another kick-ass record, but for a band that has produced such consistently awesome music over the last decade, it stands to reason that there is some hype for the follow up of the highly well-received “Brothers.” Much of the hype that has circulated comes straight out of the Keys’ camp. In promotion of the album, they launched a faux-website called wannabuyavan.com, which falsely advertises the sale of a 1994 El Camino van. “Grab the Keys and go,” the fake ad pun-fully states, “Call Pat or Dan.” Also, the newsfeed on the band’s website has been flooded in the past months, teasing fans with news about the up coming “El Camino,” and the band’s recent activities. In September, they announced a headline tour of Europe and the UK, including stops in London, Belgium, France, and Italy, that will span January and February of 2012. Last month, running with that same “used car” shtick, the band posted a short video on their website that models itself after a used

car lot commercial gone horribly wrong. “I want to tell you about a steal of a deal we’ve got going on around here!” boasts a car salesman as a cheap looking van (the same that is on the album’s cover) rolls by. “Starting December 6, we’ve got great value on a 1994 used, fully loaded El Camino!” In addition to these viral marketing promotions, the duo released the first single from the album, “Lonely Boy” in October, and announced the upcoming release of a limited edition 12” vinyl pressing of the single in support of Record Store Day’s “Back to Black” event on Friday, November 25. If “Lonely Boy” (whose music video has to be a top candidate for greatest/funniest of all time. Youtube it immediately if you aren’t one of the 2 million plus viewers who already have) is an accurate indicator of things to come on “Camino,” then there is good reason to believe that Black Keys fans will be nothing short of ecstatic with the new record. The song is true-to-form Keys, opening with one of guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach’s raunchiest and slickest guitar riffs to date and featuring a characteristically balls-to-the-walls performance by drummer Patrick Carney. “Whoa-oh-oh,” sings Auerbach over his speeding guitar, “I’ve got a love that keeps me waiting. I’m a Lonely Boy.” The super-catchy single will undoubtedly keep Keys fans waiting for more. Even more good news came along for Keys fans a few weeks ago, when Auerbach was asked by Rolling Stone magazine if the rest of “El Camino” is as great as “Lonely Boy.” He simply responded, “Yeah. That wasn’t even the obvious single.” Auerbach also stressed in the interview that the album is “really strong melodically,” and “short and to the point.” The Keys certainly seem confident, and with good reason. They have been nothing short of superstars of late, and 6 albums deep into their catalog, they have never let fans down yet, as each album seems to get better than the last. Things certainly seem promising for “El Camino” if a track as strong as “Lonely Boy” is not the obvious single. If this turns out to be true, the band may have another monster album the likes of “Brothers” on their hands, and the rest of 2011 into 2012 may prove to treat the Black Keys just as favorably as the past 18 months have.

bHoliday Playlist:y Naughty or t Nice? By: Ella Nilsen and Michelle Tremblay

“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber

Apparently, there are a whole lot of things Justin Bieber could be doing this holiday season. Like playing in the snow, or roasting his nuts on a fire. But really, he’d just rather be macking tweens under the mistletoe. Logical, as this is where paternity tests are born. –E.N.

“Dominic the Donkey” by Lou Monte

Fact: Santa does not receive present delivery help by any animal except reindeer. I’m partially Italian and have never heard of this “Italian Christmas Donkey” character until the emphatic onomatopoetic sounds in this song caught my attention a few years ago. It could’ve had potential, had it been introduced with children’s vocals, rather than those of a middle-aged Guido. –M.T.

“Baby It’s Cold Outside” by She & Him

Date rape roles are reversed as Zooey Deschanel plies M. Ward with Scotch and roofies in this class creeper anthem. She sounds more than a little frantic on this track, which means that all middle-aged hipsters within a 200-mile radius should definitely lock their doors this holiday season. Ben Gibbard can attest to that. –E.N.

“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by *NSYNC

Justin Timberlake has always been good at making us laugh. These days, he gets us to laugh with him when he acts on SNL, while this song perfectly depicts one of those we’re-laughing-at-you instances. Still, I don’t know what’s worse: the audio or the associated video of *NSYNC floating in a magical sleigh. –M.T.

The holiday season comes but once a year, and we feel that it’s important for you to celebrate it with music that appropriately reflects your 2011 character. We’ve compiled our favorite and least favorite modern holiday songs into two playlists: one for those who have been nice this year, and one for those who have been not-so-nice.

Nice: “Fairy Tale of New York” by The Pogues & Kirsty McColl

This has got to be my favorite Christmas song of all time. It’s beautiful and bawdy, and done by the Pogues, which makes it automatically Irish-drunk (yes, it’s a different level of drunk) and wonderful. –E.N.

What spells out “jolly” more than George Michael singing about the holiday season in a band with an exclamation point in its name? Not much. –M.T.

“Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC

I don’t know what it’s like to celebrate a holiday in Queens, NY, but if it’s as fun as this song, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. This is a soulful twist to the regular runof-the-mill holiday tunes. It samples and reworks Christmas classics, but in a way you’ve never heard them before. –M.T.

“Hanukkah Hey Ya” by Eric Schwartz

Michelle and Ella both discovered this song at the same time and sincerely endorse the playing of it EVERYWHERE. Because ‘oy’ is just ‘yo’ spelled backwards. –E.N. & M.T.

Naughty:

“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey

Really, Mariah Carey? You don’t care about presents and material things? I’ve seen your episode of Cribs and, while I’m sure you’ll enjoy being with Nick and the twins (her children) this Christmas, I’d venture to guess that that’s not all you want… –M.T.

By: Taylor Lawrence

“Last Christmas” by Wham!

Putting the “Sweat” into Ugly Sweater Parties

It’s the one night when drunkenly singing to Mariah Carey’s Christmas Album is not only acceptable but expected: the ugly sweater party. Girls adore it for the chance to leave the tube top and mini behind in exchange for appropriate winter clothing on a snowy Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night. Guys, on the other hand, fulfill their itch to look like an idiot just as their Halloween high subsides. Large snowmen, Santa Clauses, snowflakes, and reindeer are preferred, while glitter is essential and bulb accents will make you the toast of the party. HINT: Try a holiday vest for a saucy twist on a college classic. Salvation Army, Savers, and your grandpa’s closet are your best bets for pre-worn gems. Notably, the added bonus to everyone on campus buying used sweaters is not just an increase in sales at the aforementioned stores, but that distinct ugly sweater party aroma. It’s a combination of old people, cats, and Keystone that seeps in the res-life furniture, your hair, and your dignity. So put some tinsel around your shot glass and cheers to the pictures you’ll always untag and the sweaters you’ll never wear again. Happy ugly sweater season to all and to all a drunken night!

The Twelve Days of (almost)

Christmas at UNH By: Michelle Tremblay

he last week or two of each fall semester is bittersweet. Part of you wants to rejoice in the coming holiday season by baking cookies, drinking eggnog (okay, no one really likes eggnog), exchanging gifts you have no business spending money on, and festively decorating your living spaces and selves in a hideous pairing of all things green and red. ‘Tis the season to be a stressed-out, broke, less than presentable, alcoholic zombie.

Twelve hitchhikers thumbing

When the snow begins to fall and the temperatures drop, walking anywhere in Durham becomes unacceptable. Whether you’re taking a short trek to the library to lock yourself in a study room or making the hike to a party on Young Drive, it’s a struggle. So the choice surfaces: strap on your enormous Sorel boots and embrace the region you chose to get your education in, or look for some roadside assistance.

Eleven pages of typing

From what I’ve gathered in my three and a half years of college, this is the structure of the average UNH course: weeks 1-14 consist of (?), and weeks 15-16 consist of all the homework your professor forgot to previously assign, an exam worth an unreasonable 50% of your final grade, and a 10-12 page paper reflecting a concept you were never taught. Look back and ask yourself, “Why didn’t I just take Germs?”

Ten cars-a-beeping

As if the parking situation on campus isn’t bad enough when it’s warm, sunny and dry, enter the winter season. All of a sudden, everyone is 16 again and incapable of handling a car in the snow. Unless your vehicle is a school bus, please don’t take up more than one parking space. Let the fender benders of the 9 a.m. A Lot battle commence.

Nine “ladies” “dancing”

Between studying for finals, packing to go home, and trying to scrounge up money for gifts, this is a stressful time for us all. Any time you have to let loose is valuable, but some just don’t know when to say when. In the case that this applies to you, here’s an easy rule to follow: when you can no longer walk in your heels, stop trying to dance in them.

Eight excuses-a-milking

Whether your roommate unplugged your alarm clock again, the Gables bus was running late, or the traffic cop was being extra Grinch-y that morning, the end of the semester is the time to use all of your excuses at once. If you’re going to use them, however, at least be creative. “I was working on my homework at the bar during trivia and forgot it there” may only work if your professor teaches in COLA, but it’s worth a shot.

Seven beards-o’-trimming

In the wake of No-Shave November, early December poses an important decision to be made among males everywhere. If you choose to keep your month-long work of art, you’ll be warm and toasty for the coming winter months. If not, you’ll look “put-together” again, for whatever that’s worth… Unless your job requires you to be clean-shaven (boring), Ke$ha and I both vote pro-beard.

Six (thousand) bros-a-laying

When I go home for winter break, my parents definitely don’t welcome me with, “Here’s the house. Bring your friends over to do illicit drugs and have all the unprotected sex you want.” The time before break is crucial for getting your fix before the long five-week stretch. Hit up some of UNH’s [remaining] frats for details.

Five caffeinated drinks

The majority of us need Red Bull to provide much more than silly wings. Whether it applies to studying or partying, no one’s getting anywhere close to enough sleep when finals roll around. So take your coffee (and Bailey’s) and your Red Bull (and vodka) and study (or party) for as long as you see fit.

Four Ramen packets stirred

When the dining hall closest to you prematurely closes – why do they do that? – and you’re completely broke, what other options do you have?

Three blacked out friends

When thinking about Christmastime at UNH, silent and holy nights do not come to mind. At the closing of a long, stressful semester, you’d think getting a group of friends to go out for one last hurrah would be simple enough. Wrong. By midnight, friend #1 is puking behind a snow bank next to Store 24, friend #2 is being interrogated by the Durham Police in the middle of Main Street, and you just have no idea where friend #3 is. Happy Holidays.

Two layers of gloves

New Hampshire is fucking cold in December, no matter what.

And a week without electricity

The winter hasn’t even begun and we’ve already experienced some questionable weather patterns. Hurricane Irene’s first-weekend-back welcome and Halloween’s trick snowstorm left many students without power, and I’m sure that’s not the last of it for 2011. I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas, Durham; one white holiday was enough this semester.

Changes are Coming to Franz’s By: Shane Noonan

Stop by Franz’s at 46 Main St Durham, NH

ranz Guest, better known as the owner of Franz’s Food in downtown Durham, has grand plans for his small grab-n-go food establishment. Ever since they opened over 10 years ago, in a corner of building space in the downtown Laundromat, Franz’s Food has strived to offer both students and locals quality takeout food at affordable prices or as Guest jokingly calls it, “snooty-nose upscale Laundromat food.” Now, after a profitable 10 years in business, Franz Guest has successfully expanded his restaurant. Guest decided to add to the size of the previously confined, simple take-out window this summer. The new space that he constructed, mostly by himself, includes an area for vending and drink machines, and an area adjacent to the takeout window where Guest has plans to set up a station for gluten-free waffles. At this the waffle station, which will be open on weekends, he plans to have a smorgasbord of waffle toppings from butter, vanilla and chocolate pudding, peanut butter, possibly fresh fruit and, of course, fresh maple syrup (at an additional charge). Along with his waffle station and cleared space, Guest is devising a plan where you can get your Franz fix seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Fresh sandwiches, prepared daily, will be available via vending machines at a fixed price. He and his staff will prepare the food every morning and switch out the food from the day before upon arriving

to work. With the older sandwiches, Guest aims to sell them at a lower cost to ensure that they will not be wasted. He understands that people might be attracted to this option due to the fact that some are frugal with their purchases, appealing to some of his biggest customers – broke college students. Guest is adding to the ambiance and curb appeal of Franz’s Food too. On the outside of the restaurant, there will be an added red awning topping the adjacent window, identical to his already iconic one. Curb appeal will be added to the restaurant through a digital photography projector, which will screen photographs of employees and customers, while music plays from a street-side radio. Inside, new, eco-friendly lighting will be installed along with suspended planetary designs, which will be painted and crafted by what Guest described as local “hippie artists.” According to Guest and his employees, “this expansion is a big deal.” To him, it is symbolic of the happiness of the store’s customers. He hopes to achieve a broader base of clientele through the additional space. “Counting money at the end of the day is a mundane task,” he said. “Making money is simply a byproduct of the business’s more enhanced environment.” Knowing that his customers are happy with the decadence of his grab-n-go gourmet-style food is, and always will be, his main priority.

s w e i v e R t n a r estau

Starting to get the winter blues? That probably means it’s time to get out

By: Victoria Hansen

of your dorm and have some home style cooking—BBQ to be exact. Who cares if summer is six months away? You can still get great BBQ minus the flip flops and 80 degree weather right in Portsmouth. We tested a couple of the locals’ favorites to get you the inside scoop.

MOJO’S BBQ SHACK

Mojo’s BBQ Shack just recently moved to its new location on Brewery Lane. A plain and simple space amongst a strip of other businesses may make it difficult to find if you don’t keep your eyes peeled. But once inside, the music and décor helps to make the place fun and certainly causes you to realize that Mojo’s is all about BBQ. Not to mention, the Phantom Gourmet deemed it a “hidden jewel” for its southern style. Mojo’s offers a menu with a wide variety of traditional BBQ style foods such as steak tips, ribs, chicken strips and sandwiches, pulled pork, chili, beans, sausage, wings, mac & cheese, and a wide variety of burgers. The sauces tend to be on the sweet side rather than the spicy, but they do offer spicy dishes. Ordering suggestion? Their pulled pork has received great reviews all around the table. If you want to test it out before hand, try their pulled pork quesadillas in the appetizer section

of the menu. The ribs are cooked over hickory wood for that great smoked flavor, and their “Sloppy MoJo” is a combination of brisket, pulled pork, coleslaw and BBQ sauce that are a favorite amongst most visitors. They also recently received first prize in Portsmouth’s chili contest! Prices range from $6 to $20, but there are always daily specials or other special offers— just ask! They also offer a range of beer and other alcoholic beverages and have great deals on game nights. Group options are available if you’ve got a large party with a hearty appetite. Mojo’s is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. About a half a mile from downtown Portsmouth you could take the Wildcat Transit down and either dine in or take out! Call in your orders after looking at their online menu at (603) 436-6656.

Best Pulled Pork: “Sloppy MoJo”

Eddie B’s Comfort Food and BBQ Eddie B’s Comfort Food and BBQ is another side-of-the-road restaurant whose curb appeal is deceiving. Nestled at 165 Deer Street in Portsmouth, Eddie B’s seems to be one of Portsmouth’s best kept secrets. Though best known for its great breakfast foods, its BBQ lunch and dinner menu certainly packs a punch. Your classic diner on the inside, Eddie B’s offers a home-style meal in a homey atmosphere. Not only does their menu consist of local foods, but everything is made from scratch. All meats are slow cooked right in the restaurant and full of smoky flavor. They offer typical BBQ style foods such as ribs, burgers, chicken dishes, French fries, and onion rings. Since all meals are made with fresh and local ingredients it’s difficult to go wrong with anything on the menu. If you’re a meat eater,

Inside Mojo’s

definitely try a house-smoked meat selection for the flavor. Eddie B’s offers several other selections as well, such as local seafood, soups, salads, daily baked bread, and even a variety of Italian food selections. The hash browns also get rave reviews, so even if you’re not in the mood for BBQ there is sure to be many choices. Prices range anywhere from $5 to $20 and take out is definitely an option. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, but they are currently working on staying open later for dinner customers. They keep their customers updated through their Facebook page and can be reached at (603) 319-4052.

Best House-Smoked Meat: Burgers and Ribs with Fresh Ingredients

Bar Trivia By: Kary McCafferty

“You don’t have to be perverted,” the announcer says. “But it helps.” It’s a Monday night at the Knot and teams are racking their brains to come up with the perfect name, looking to the announcer for assistance. The perfect name in question is for a pivotal event in every college student’s life. Bar trivia. Figuring out the best trivia name can turn into a daunting task, so saunter into Scorp's on a Wednesday night, or Ballards on a Monday, or the Knot on a Monday, with the right idea of how to formulate what best fits you and your team. You want to come up with a name that makes others in the room say "WHOA! How the hell did they ever come up with that?!?!?!?! I wish I was on their team! They're clearly just winning at life 24/7!" It's pretty serious stuff. However it isn't all about making an impression, choose something that your team thinks rocks too.

Here are a few points to consider: • Get as creative as possible. The more outrageous and bizarre, the better. Try to go for the wow factor here. • Reference popular culture when appropriate—which is basically always. • Most importantly, when in doubt, make it sexual. You can never fail if you come up with some twisted sexual fetish type name. It ALWAYS goes over well. These are drunken college kids you're contending with here.

Let's take a look at #1 on the Top 10 list. "Hermaphrodite Barbie always comes in her own box." Creative? I think so. Who the hell would ever come up with that? That's the reaction you want! Barbie, popular culture reference, check. It may take you a moment or two to get the gist of what is going on with this name, but it is sexual and it is awesome. “I think you really have to just look at everybody’s personality, like team Blue Barracudas,” said junior Blair Chowansky, of the aforementioned team that plays Monday night trivia at the Knot. “We’re all kind of kids at heart; throw back to Legend’s of the Hidden Temple.” She added that you can try to be funny, or you can just be a champ like the Blue Barracudas. Chowansky’s team gets especially passionate, with one teammate rocking a Blue Barracuda’s T-shirt.

Top 10: 1. Hermaphrodite Barbie always comes in her own box 2. I wish this microphone was — (For this one have the announcer insert whatever they want in the blank space each time the rankings are said.) 3. Slippery When Wet 4. Blue Barracudas 5. Freshman 15 isn’t the number of pounds you gain; it’s the number of chicks you bang 6. Rex is right, Sanchez is stupid 7. My little bronie 8. Team Get It In 9. Si Señor, Taco Enchilada (That one’s good for Cinco de Mayo.) 10. Fat Kids are harder to Kidnap

Holiday Cookie Recipes By: The Main Street Staff

Tired of the same old holiday cookies? Try something

new this season! MSM staff share some of their family favorites.

Cool Places Your Shoes Have Been

By: Sarah Cotton

Eden Wales Freedman

Ryan Liston

Siobhan Smith

My Shoes Are: Classic, comfortable

My Shoes Are: Soaked in blood

My Shoes Are: Clicky, melty, copper

Our Story: I am recently married as of last year, and my boots honeymooned with my husband and me for a week all over Paris and then a week in Egypt.

Our Story: A bunch of concerts, like Reel Big Fish and Aquabats, and they’re covered in blood. I work at a sub shop and I’ve cut off a few fingertips. The first time, I was cutting tomatoes at the same time so I couldn’t tell which was tomato juice or blood.

Our Story: I bought them in a little shop in Kennebunkport. The shoes took me to Scotland, where I climbed Arthur’s Seat. I brought them with me because they were warm, but I didn’t know we would be climbing a mountain. They weren’t the most practical choice, but I climbed to the top in them.

Graduate Student

Junior

Senior

My most recent breakup was nothing short of brutal - and it was with a pair of shoes. We were together for five short months, but those boots took me to some extraordinary places. We climbed the Eiffel Tower, crossed Abbey Road, jumped in Venetian puddles, and strolled the halls of Buckingham Palace. There were nights I can’t fully remember and days I will never forget, and my shoes took me to and through them all. Looking back through our time together in photographs was sometimes comforting but mostly heartbreaking. Still, I won’t deny that it had to be done. Despite all of our good times together, there were holes I couldn’t mend, where puddle water leaked into the heels and left my feet soggy, and they were starting to smell. It was simply time for new shoes. Our parting made me wonder about the other “shoe stories” on this campus, so I set out to ask you about the interesting places your footwear has been.

Dave Bedard

Kendra Hanlon

Luke Barbour

My Shoes Are: Fake leather Chucks

My Shoes Are: Cute black flats

My Shoes Are: Soloman Trail Running Shoes

Our Story: They rode trains all around Europe, lived in Austria and went to Ireland. We played a lot of cards on all of those trains.

Our Story: On my birthday this year, we ran through traffic in France to catch a bus from Nice to Monaco. We were on a beautiful mountainside but we had to hike all the way down to get home, and I was in my “going out” shoes, which were tight already. By the end my feet were bleeding and I couldn’t feel my toes for a day. After that trip, those black flats have never been the same.

Our Story: These things have run through fire and gotten shocked with 10,000 volts of electricity at the Tough Mudder race at Mount Snow in Vermont.

Senior (he thinks)

Senior

Junior

Winter Fashion Goes Wild By: Taylor Lawrence

Dolce and Gabbana

Gucci

The childhood phrase “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” gets a sophisticated twist on this winter’s coolest runways for 2011-2012. From Anna Sui’s panda shaped hats to Oscar de la Renta’s peacock-inspired maxi, the runway is taking a walk on the wild side in what bloggers have playfully titled “zoological fashion.” Zoological fashion has a variety of degrees. It can be as simple as the cheetah print cardigan found at most department stores or as extreme as plucking the full snake skin suit right off Angelo Marani’s runway. How deep in the fashion jungle will you dare to dive this season?

FUR

Fur is a wardrobe staple for any wintry diva. Designers across the globe are aware of the instant elegance this style adds to any ensemble, however they are also becoming progressively more conscious of the damage it is doing to several animal species. Thanks to this realization designers are perfecting faux fur to the same level of quality expected from real fur. Ironically, those designers who still use real fur have been called out for distressing it to look like stereotypical faux fur. Regardless, the element of fur is timeless whether worn at a holiday dinner party or on the

runway.

Oscar de la Renta

Versace

FEATHERS

Feathers are always a bold statement. Over the summer feathers had flown into hairstyles, but this winter they are covering our cold silhouettes and making even big bird look sexy. Versace’s yellow-feathered mini dress is belted at the waist to keep this trend from flying off the deep end and its short length shows enough leg to sustain sex appeal (despite being covered in bright yellow feathers – quite the feat!). An advantageous asset that feathers give fashion is movement. The clothes seem to keep rhythm with the wind as they are trotted down the runway this season.

ANIMAL PRINTS

Every fashionista needs at least one animal print in her closet. Animal prints are one of those unique components of fashion that have the ability to morph. They can make you feel like a sexy siren in one application and like a chic business woman in the next. Some women abuse the sex appeal of animal print and plaster it across their rear in a cotton mini-skirt. This winter, however, prints are a staple of class and add confidence to any outfit, like a cheetah print top under a fitted blazer or a snakeskin closed toe heel at the office.

North Face, Leggings,UGGs:

A Campus Fashion Intervention

By: Alexandra Churchill

What’s hot in collegiate fashion for the cold weather season at UNH? It’s a biddie’s go-to ensemble of a North Face fleece-lined jacket and black leggings matched with a pair of UGGs. This is for your own fashion good: If you have any self respect at all, please stop wearing these to class. I get it – we all have our lazy days. Sometimes we wake up five minutes before class or we pull an all-nighter or we’re sick with the flu; and we all have hangovers on Friday mornings. But this go-to UNH combo is not acceptable. When this ensemble became popular in the early- to mid-2000s, I hoped this trend would blow over by next season. Obviously, it didn’t. It’s become more and more present with each passing winter, taking over dorms and sorority houses on college campuses across the country until it has reached the proportions of a true style epidemic. The North Face/ leggings/UGGs combo was fun for a while, but it’s high time we move on. It’s time to rethink what you put on before you walk out the door each morning. It’s time for a campus fashion intervention, ladies – and trust me, you need help.

Subject No. 1: the UNH Biddie

Specimen No. 1: North Face Jackets Let me give you some basic context: The North Face, Inc. is an American outdoor product company specializing in athletic apparel from running suits to footwear, and of course, outerwear like its standard black fleece-lined jacket, all catered towards climbers, mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders, and endurance athletes. If you’re an enthusiast of any one of these activities– go ahead and rock your North Face label with pride. To the rest of you ladies who tromp out of your sorority house with your biddie posse for a group dinner at the dining hall in mid-40 degree weather wearing identical North Face, I only have this to say – it’s not acceptable. Opt for a colorful pea coat or a slick trench instead. Yes, wilderness chic was something of a style trend in the early 2000s, but you are not hiking the Himalayas – so stop it; you’re not fooling anyone.

Specimen No. 2: Leggings Ok, ladies. I’m about to let you in on a little fashion secret: contrary to popular belief, leggings are not pants. With some stylish creativity and free license, a pair of classic black leggings can be a great piece to most ensembles, but you’re abusing your pivileges. Paired with a stylish skirt? Très chic. Under a dress? Campus couture. As pants? Fashion faux-pas! If you feel the need to wear something this tight, put on skinny jeans. I don’t care what your BFF says about her love of leggings – camel toe is not a fashion statement.

Specimen No. 3: UGGs These odd-looking boots have made quite the footprint on our campus’ sense of style. UGGs appear in every classroom on this campus as soon as the first frost hits in the fall. Years ago a fairly unknown Australian brand started a revolution: UGG boots. UGGs, again like North Face, might have been acceptable for their intended purpose of utility and warmth, but UGG boots have been scuffling across the UNH campus for a while now and I’m sick of seeing them. I’m sick of seeing your nasty dirt-encrusted, salt-stained, sad-looking suede pair of UGG boots make their fall-time re-appearance from your closet every year. UGGs are not cute and if I need to appeal to your laziness (“but UGGs are just so comfortable!”) a pair of leather riding boots are just as easy to throw on.

Please, don’t let this be you. College campuses have been full of girls wearing slight variations of this exact outfit for years. By now, this look is stale and just lazy. Everyone wants to be taken seriously after college, both personally and professionally. After graduation comes the real world, and the real world requires a real wardrobe (blazers and pencil skirts, I know – how scary!). There is no longer an excuse for the North Face/leggings/ UGGs combo anymore. We collegiate ladies should be style-savvy and fashion-forward. Take the step out of your UGGs and step away from these tired trends for good. Besides, you’re making the rest of us – the girls who actually try – look bad.

By: Tynan DeBold

Crossing a City Scape: Skyscrapers, Bridges, and Brooklyn

New York City

Occupy Wall Street By: Tynan DeBold

Occupy protesters in Burlington, VT 24

“I see this right now more as a process or an exercise rather than a direct course of action. These people here are coming together and sharing stories; describing to each other how they have been affected in some way. And yes maybe we do lack a central theme or message, but for now I think that is constructive, and it is what is setting this movement apart.” This is how a coordinator of Occupy Vermont responded to my question when I asked him what his thoughts were about the Occupy Wall Street movement (OWS). Occupy Vermont is an affiliate of the growing Occupy movement that started in Zuccotti Park in New York City, Sept. 17. The OWS movement is a continuing series of protests against many issues, namely social and economic inequality, unemployment, and the influence that corporations have on government. The movement originated via Adbusters, a Canadian activist group, when they sent out the idea via their email list. Adbusters’ goal to peacefully occupy Wall Street and protest against the issues mentioned above was set to begin September 17, in order to coincide with America’s Constitution Day. I was in New York that weekend of Sept. 17, but didn’t hear a thing about OWS until a week or two later. Now, nearly three months on, the Occupy movement has become its own entity, with protesters gathering in different cities like Oakland and Boston and demonstrations reaching as far as Tokyo and Buenos Aires. Ever since the financial collapse of 2008, there has been an evergrowing amount of discourse concerning the direction that the United States is headed. Among other things, many people initially seemed to be outraged at the corporations and banks irresponsibility in their conduct, which played a large role in the financial collapse. But this anger seemed to be stifled with the election of President Obama, with his supporters hoping that he could turn everything around, and make right all faults and shortcomings. Though with Obama, Congress, and our political ‘system’ failing to move anywhere positive, the aforementioned stifled anger has materialized in the form of OWS protests. My personal experience with an occupy movement came when I went to Burlington, Vt., to visit some friends. Wandering from Church Street, I went to City Hall Park to find 30-40 pitched tents filled with Vermonters who had been camping out for just over a week. This was Occupy Vermont, amalgamated with OWS. The demographic of the people who were there wasn’t predictable. One might imagine these Burlington protesters to be old school counter-culture hippy types. There were a few of them yes, but actually the demographic included everyone from

younger students, to some middle aged people I met from Nevada, to old women. The general feeling amongst these different generations was that they were happy simply to be within each other’s company, relating to one another through personal insight, knowledge, and opinions pertaining to current social and economic issues that OWS was built upon. Many of the protesters I talked to agreed that there was no specific unified focus or future goal, but no one seemed to mind that. It was enough for them just to be there with others who felt similarly. In terms of a future plan or goal, maybe one isn’t needed at present. Maybe in time the patched-up participants who have been healed by the collective mutual disdain from their fellow dissenters will decide on one or more goals that will be beneficial for themselves and America. Trying to relate this to our history, there may be a trend. We never hated the monarch King George, we hated his monarchy. We never hated the slaves, we hated slavery. And now we don’t hate the oligarchs, we hate oligarchy. The collapse of the oligarchs on Wall Street is speculation I’ve seen and heard, but maybe that is where this movement will want to travel. At present, OWS desires nothing more than some new kind of freedom. Freedom from the broken systems, from the invisible grip that corporate America has over most of us, with its over-abundance of material goods and advertisements, or from simply the loss of morality and a rational mind. Economic goals seem to be taking a backseat to these simple morals, and here is where I think the Occupy movement has been right all along. As Matt Taibbi put it in his Rolling Stone article, “This is a visceral, impassioned, deep-seated rejection of the entire direction of our society, a refusal to take even one more step forward into the shallow commercial abyss of phoniness, short-term calculation, withered idealism and intellectual bankruptcy that American mass society has become.” Taibbi asserts that this rejection is not of just corporate America and the growing divide between the haves and have-nots, but a demonstration against what our society has become. “If there is such a thing as going on strike from one’s own culture, this is it,” Taibbi said. Though the recent evictions and subsequent violence have possibly lessened any effectiveness the protests were having, the movement isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Though a continued lack of specificity and a degenerating cohesiveness may begin to dissolve OWS, for now, it is succeeding.

Discourse on city hall steps 25

Kap Slap:

A.D.H.D. EDM

By: Ella Nilsen

I discovered Kap Slap a few months ago, during a routine home-

work avoidance session on HypeMachine.com. Scrolling through the site’s Popular Songs, I found “Guetta’s Calling Solveig Up,” a track climbing the charts and boasting a mash-up of song’s including Martin Solveig’s “Hello” and “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. I clicked play and instantly knew I had found something great. It may have been that first listen, it may have been the weeks that followed blasting Kap Slap songs across campus in the car, or it may have been when I dislocated my knee at a party dancing to “E.T. Feels Starry Eyed” (a completely true, if slightly embarrassing story bringing new dimension to the name ‘Kap Slap’), but I knew there was more to this than just dance music. The nature of mash-ups is a completely ADD art form. There are so many samples packed into one track, making most mash-ups defy description. So let me put it simply. If Girl Talk is ADD, then Kap Slap is ADHD. He amplifies the mash-up genre, making highly volatile dance songs that are primed to explode on impact. Born and raised at college frat parties, Kap Slap songs have been bred for one purpose: to get you out of your seat and dancing. Wild drunken dancing was exactly what was happening at Boston College’s Homecoming Dance event that Kap Slap, real name Jared Lucas, DJayed on Nov. 11.. Thousands of BC students were packed into a large ballroom in the downtown Sheraton. Boys wearing suits and ties were grinding on girls squeezed into tight cocktail dresses. Their six-inch heels long since discarded, the girls waved their arms in the air, screaming and grasping for Lucas, who was jumping around uncontrollably onstage. He has a lot to be happy about. Having recently released the three-song Kaskade Found Love EP, which was met with rave reviews on major music blogs, he also got a surprise shout-out from a new fan, none other than Ellie Goulding, who praised his song “E.T. Feel Starry Eyed” on her Facebook page. When I talk to him, he’s still getting over his surprise. “Oh my god, that was nuts! I had no idea that would happen,” he laughs. Tonight he’s at Boston College, and tomorrow he’s en route to Duke. Then it’s back to Lehigh University to resume a normal life of homework, projects, and partying.

Lucas’ career as Kap Slap began just two years ago, during his sophomore year of college. Always musically inclined, Lucas played guitar, drums, and bass in high school and listened to a lot of rock, “very typical influences like Red Hot Chili Peppers and all that stuff, but also progressive rock, like Dream Theater… I used to listen to that a lot in high school.” He was inspired to try making mash-ups after hearing artists like Super Mash Bros. “I figured, ‘I might as well try this out,’” he said. “I just started playing around on GarageBand, and things led to things.” Two years later, his songs have garnered him a loyal and growing college fan base. With nearly 18,000 fans on Facebook, weekends full of booked shows at frat parties and other events across the nation, Lucas is the perfect example of the modern self-made artist. Turning social media and blogs to his advantage, Lucas is emphatic in his belief that times have never been better for artists like him. “The music industry’s changed so much,” he says. “Now, literally anybody can go out and get a laptop, get a program, and start making music. It’s great for us right now, and it’s only growing from here.” Lucas’ own subset within the mash-up genre is specifically dance music. “My niche was to get music for frats and college kids to party to,” he says. “You can play the song, and nobody’s going to change it, because it’s awesome. A lot of older stuff wouldn’t last at the party scene.” Crossing today’s best electronic dance music tracks with pop songs from Top 40 radio, Lucas’ mash-up are popular because they give college kids everything in one song. It’s a genius pairing and the reason that 2000 kids came to dance before him, screaming their heads off as he seamlessly switched off between tracks. Blogs and social media are undoubtedly changing the direction of the music industry. Lucas got his start by sending his first track, “Snap It Up,” to dozens of music blogs, including the popular website FratMusic. com. The song climbed so high on the site’s charts that Lucas was soon contacted by FratMusic’s owner and asked to have the song featured. “After that,” he says, “I became more of a household name.” Blogs are no longer small operations run by the average music nerd. They are the free, online, popular alternatives to magazines such as Rolling Stone and Spin. You no longer need to be an accredited critic attached to a publication to have your voice continued on page 42

G N I R U O T E ALPIN

f you don’t ski or snowboard, feel free to skip this article. This piece is about a trend, a movement if you will, in the world of snowsports. The movement is a general exodus away from expensive resorts and towards an area where few venture to ride. A hallowed realm of untouched powder snow, cliff drops and burly lines. A promised land of natural, whoop-inducing paths through mountainside birch forests. I’m talking about the elusive backcountry. Whether you ski or ride, you may have seen this trend manifest itself in extreme films that come out every fall. Ski and snowboard movies are increasingly being set away from the groomed slopes. The snowboard film of the year, “The Art of Flight” was set entirely in wilderness locales. Ski movies “Revolver,” “Reasons,” and “Seven Sunny Days,” all featured epic descents of backcountry lines. As further evidence of the growing appeal of the backcountry, snowboarder extraordinaire Travis Rice is now planning an event to rival X-Games, called The Supernaturals, where riders jib natural features on a backcountry run in British Columbia. The event will premier in February 2013. Before we explore this trend any further, let’s take a step back and recognize one mammoth obstacle to our backcountry nirvana: we live on the east coast. We don’t heli-ski. We don’t have 14,000-ft. peaks. Most upsettingly, we don’t have 500 inches of fluffy white gold falling on our heads every season. No, unlike some regions, ours is a land of ice and trees. We have to work for our backcountry. I’m telling you that for those willing to search for it, the backcountry is right here in New Hampshire. I have been exploring New Hampshire hills for a couple years now, backcountry skiing the dumb way, with snowshoes on my feet and my skis on my back for the hike out. But the alpine-touring revolution of the last few years has made the backcountry more accessible than ever. Alpine touring is exactly what it sounds like: touring through the alpine environment. It used to apply to everything involved with that activity, from Nordic (cross-country) skiing to telemark skiing and snowshoeing. In recent years, the term has come to apply to a specific vanguard of skiing wherein the skier walks up a mountain or hill with skis on his or her feet, then skis down the terrain in traditional alpine style. Alpine touring equipment allows you to both hike and ski without ever taking the skis off your feet.

By: Ian Ferguson Here’s the basic concept: hike up a snowy mountain with your skis on your feet. Your AT bindings have a releasable heel allowing for a natural stride up the hill. Skins attached to the base of your skis prevent you from slipping backwards down the slope, and your slick, new AT boots are lighter than regular ski boots. When you get to the top, take off the skins and throw them in your backpack. Switch the bindings to alpine mode, locking the heels of your boots back onto the ski, and you are ready to ski back down the trail, glade, or snowy ravine as you would any inbounds trail at a ski resort. Split-boards allow snowboarders to walk up hills as well. The board separates into two skis, and the bindings pivot to make the uphill walk comfortable. For the descent, the board is snapped back together with the bindings back in place for a normal run down the mountain. This concept makes the elusive “backcountry,” or ski-able terrain outside of developed ski areas, an attainable goal for the everyday skier or rider. Isaak Wellinghurst, 22, has been an AT adherent since his days as a lift attendant in Vail CO in 2008. Why does he prefer Alpine Touring? “It’s convenient,” Wellinghurst said. “It’s fun. It’s cheaper than paying for a ticket. It’s the easiest way to get the good snow without the crowds.” Alpine touring can be considered a compromise between regular alpine skiing and telemark skiing. With alpine skiing, strong but heavy equipment is necessary due to high-g descents but practical because lifts carry you up the mountain. With telemark skiing lighter, flimsier equipment is better because you are walking long distances, often uphill, and the skier mitigates the forces of gravity with a fluid technique and thighs of steel. The compromise between binding weight and stability is where new technology has allowed alpine touring to take off as a viable third option for skiers. Ski companies have long sought to create bindings that were freeheeled and light enough for ascents, yet able to lock down strong and stable enough for alpine descents. In 1995 the Swiss ski company Fritschi launched the Diamir, “a light touring binding with the convenience of use, safety potential and downhill qualities of an alpine binding,” according to the company’s website. In 2006, Dynafit, an Italian company, came out with their TLT Vertical binding, which was made of aluminum and represented a radical departure from previous AT binding designs.

The Bowl at Tuckerman’s Ravine

photo credit: Danielle Shannon

The Canadian company Genuine Guide Gear came out with a similar design around the same time as Dynafit. Competition between these and other backcountry-focused companies led to incremental improvements in binding design, as an ever-increasing market of skiers and winter mountaineers began to take notice. Now the bindings have reached the point where they can compare with true alpine bindings on the inbounds slopes in terms of stability, control, and safety. “You can take AT bindings to any chairlift in the country, and they’ll compete with the bindings everyone else is skiing on,” Bob Siener, owner of Fire on the Mountain Ski and Snowboard Shop in Dover said. Mainstream skiers are catching on to the trend in a big way. “Sales of AT equipment setups doubled for us this year,” Siener said. Fire on the Mountain has offered the equipment for three years now, and plans to increase its assortment of AT products available for next season.

Deterrents be damned. I’d had enough of tromping over hills with skis on my back. After dreaming of owning an AT setup for three years, I scrounged up my loose change and took the plunge this fall. I got my setup on eBay for $595. Volkl Mantra skis with Marker Tour F12 bindings and Black Diamond skins. The bindings fit my old alpine boots, so I didn’t have to drop another $300. This setup was a steal – to the would-be alpine-tourer, I would definitely recommend buying used. Last year’s explorations led Wellinghurst and I to a secret stash called Bald Hill. We first saw the granite slabs on an outcropping in Eaton, NH while driving by in the fall of 2010. During the first big storm last year we hiked out and found a skier’s joy-land. Tree-less aspects lead over drops from 6 to 20 feet, with varying degrees of slope and about 500 feet in elevation. We had a ball that first day, skiing through knee-deep powder over cliffs and knolls, down into the trees, and shouting out loud occasionally in pure joy.

“A hallowed realm of untouched powder snow, cliff drops and burly lines. A promised-land of natural, whoop-inducing paths through mountainside birch forests. I’m talking about the elusive backcountry.” International Mountain Equipment in North Conway reported similar observations. “We’ve seen AT go off in a big way this year,” owner Rick Wilcox said. If the bindings perform just as well as traditional bindings with the added ability to march up hills, why haven’t AT bindings taken over the industry? The hefty price tag is a significant deterrent. A new AT setup with bindings, boots, and skins can easily run up to and over $1000, and that doesn’t even include the skis. Another deterrent is the danger of the sport. “It would be foolhardy to go into the backcountry without substantial knowledge of avalanche dangers and basic wilderness awareness,” Cameron O’Brien, a guide for Overland Adventures based in Bellingham, WA said. That knowledge must be supplemented with an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel (none of which are cheap) and the know-how to use them.

We visited the stash eight times over the course of the winter, and each time I cursed my lack of AT gear as Isaak sped ahead of me on the mile walk out to the hill. It was still worth it then, but now that I have an AT setup it will be even better. If you haven’t found a stash of your own, there’re plenty of wellknown backcountry spots throughout the White Mountains. Pick up a copy of David Goodman’s Backcountry Skiing Adventures: Maine and New Hampshire. It’s a comprehensive guidebook covering places like Mt. Hale, Gulf of Slides, Doublehead, and the mecca of backcountry skiing in the Northeast: Tuckerman Ravine. Wellinghurst’s most compelling reason for alpine-touring in the backcountry? “It’s an adventure.”

n i a g A d a o R e h t n O

Advice for Long-Distance Relationships

By: Kary McCafferty

ast year my long-term boyfriend graduated UNH. We frantically spent as much of the summer as we could togetherI even willingly went camping. Before we knew it summer was over and he moved to Virginia to complete training as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Army National Guard. After he left in mid-August I spent a few days with emotions I did not expect. In an attempt to subconsciously ignore how upset I was over his departure, I felt like I didn’t want a damn thing to do with him. I didn’t want to talk to him, think about him or act as if he existed. I wanted to just focus on myself and my upcoming senior year. Well if you didn’t already suspect this, it only took about three days before I started balling hysterically out of nowhere and obviously in public. I wanted to talk to him again. I wanted to think about him again. Pretending I did not care was merely a form of self-preservation at its finest. After coming to terms with my feelings things got much better and although I am learning along the way I have compiled a few tips on how to keep your sanity while your beau is M.I.A.

Go out with your friends.

Have fun with your muchachos!-It’s what they are there for. When you have a long-distance relationship you do not have to deal with the sometimes pesky decision of who you will spend your Saturday night with.-This may mean missing out on a phone call with your honey every once in a while. Missing a night will not kill you. If you choose talking to your significant other over a great opportunity to go out with friends you might end up resenting your beau. Sometimes when I

“Your Friends will keep you sane and happy”

go out at night to one of Durham’s finest establishments I don’t hear my phone go off. Or I’ll send my boyfriend a text if we haven’t talked yet saying that I am going out for the night and will call him tomorrow. It’s OK. Your friends will keep you sane and happy. Spend time with them. Go out to the bars, the movies, heck sit around staring off into space together. Don’t be a loner. You will wallow in self-pity if you don’t just smack a smile on your face and have a good time.

Let yourself be sad.

It’s pretty normal-at least I want to think that it is-to spend those first few days borderline robotic. Yet once you become human again it’s ok to feel bummed out from time to time. That is far better than ignoring what’s really going on. For me it is only a four month stint, but it can still be difficult having such a huge part of my life at UNH missing. If I let myself cry about it when I need to I end up spending the majority of time with a sincerely positive attitude.

Don’t pick fights.

So back to normal human emotions. People have a tendency to suck about dealing with their feelings. It is normal to want to pull away and start trouble with the people you care about if a separation period is looming. Ignore those tendencies. Before my boyfriend left over the summer he came down to visit for a few nights. That entire time little things that normally wouldn’t bug us got tense. At one point I think we were both subconsciously trying to start an issue. Why would I miss him if we weren’t getting along? Anyway, luckily I bit my tongue and changed the subject on a couple of occasions. I knew what we were doing and it wasn’t worth it. Be mindful of how you’re reacting toward certain situations and why that may be. Leaving each other on a sour note will only weaken the relationship. How can you last if you do that?

Do not sweat the small stuff.

I am a firm believer that talking in person is the way to go. Unfortunately this is not a viable option in a long-distance relationship. Texting can be horribly misconstrued and sometimes phone conversations just go sour. Don’t freak out when you don’t have the perfect conversation or when you decide to make up the tone you believe a text was intended to be in. It is incredibly easy to get paranoid when your significant other is only accessible via technology, but you need to relax because it is probably ok. If something really bothers you then sure try talking about it, but do not let it get you down when a text message isn’t exactly what you hoped it would be.

Being in a long-distance relationship is going to have its ups and downs. When the downs are more prominent try to do something you love, have fun, and talk to your beau if you need to. Either way there is no reason why things cannot work out. You just need to know how to keep yourself sane and happy. Hopefully these tips will help you do so.

Focus on you.

I’m not saying become an egocentric maniac but when your honey is away that will give you more of an opportunity to focus on the things that you want to do. Perhaps there has been a club that you have always wanted to join? Go for it. Spice up the variety in your life. This semester I joined the new UNH Dance Club. It’s good to have plenty of things to do. This may sound contradictory but here it goes: keep busy but not too busy. What I mean is don’t stay busy just to ignore what you are feeling. While focusing on what you like to do, come up with a good emotional outlet. For me it’s writing and dancing. Try painting, sports, yoga, anything; whatever acts as an emotional release.

London Markets By: Eliza Mackintosh

Travel to Europe for the holidays and you will find yourself in a snow globe of twinkling lights hanging from shop windows, street vendors selling roasted chestnuts, and happy bundled people drinking hot cider and spiced mulled wine. This time of the year is defined by big shopping bags and spending all your savings, but with the best markets in the world at your fingertips it is possible to find one of a kind items for less. Although there are many bits and bobs to search through, that’s part of the fun. Market shopping encompasses a range of products from gourmet food, to antique home wares, and vintage clothing. The trend of ‘thrifting’ and scavenging markets is something that has exploded culturally in a big way. This can be attributed to a shaky economy, a search for the best deals, and a desire to get back to the basics. As market shopping has become more popular people have come to expect far more than what your average flea market has to offer. Customers and travelers alike scour markets for that indescribably perfect piece of jewelry or simply the best in Belgian chocolates. There is an old world charm to markets that is undeniably attractive to buyers, and this atmosphere is most apparent in the cobble stone squares of London.

Camden Market I Chalk Farm Road, London Known for its underground punk scene and its former jazz queen Amy Winehouse, Camden Town’s eclectic mix of grunge culture, alternative fashion, and vintage style is most evident in its markets. Camden Market actually refers to several markets all around Chalk Farm Road, which are usually open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One of the largest sections of Camden Market, the Stables, is a wooden maze that was once a horse hospital. The stables serve as stalls for vendors of avant-garde art, home wares, and a variety of ethnic cuisine. The stables are beside Camden Lock Market and Regent’s Canal, a winding green stream that runs through Camden Town. The Lock Market was originally a craft market, but now offers a range of kitsch items from knit hats to vinyl record clocks. You can settle down beside the water and eat at a row of motorcycle seat chairs, set up just for that purpose. Camden’s connection to Christmas is age old. Charles Dickens set his classic story A Christmas Carol in Camden Town, where he lived at the time. What you will find here though is anything but traditional, with clothing stalls featuring niche styles from Goth to burlesque. A focal point of the stables is the trance emporium Cyberdog, which sells apparel appropriate for raves and outer space.

Camden Market 32

Insider Tip: Stop into Proud in the Stables for a drink during the day. Most people don’t realize that this popular nightclub offers free live music, as well as an art gallery.

Portobello Market I Portobello Road, London Sprawling across trendy Notting Hill in west London is one of the most popular street markets in the world: Portobello Market. Known for its unbelievable vintage finds, the market is split up into an antiques section, a fashion market, second hand stuff, and food stall section of fruits and vegetables. The market’s hours vary, but the main days are Friday and Saturday. The multicolored façades of Portobello’s rambling streets serve as a backdrop to stalls stacked with everything from costume jewelry to heaps of leather bags. The fashion market has drawn in many talented young designers, while the flea market offers some gem couture labels. Portobello can be a little chilly in the winter, but there is something magical about seeing all of the street vendors and their wares out in the snow. The market is a great place to find bric-a-brac rarities, those one in a million gifts that can be found nowhere else. Whether it’s a cute set of coasters or a huge Russian hat, you will be able to find that certain present for everyone on your list. Insider Tip: The vintage covered section found in the heart of Portobello market sells fantastically affordable fur coats.

Covent Garden Market I Westminster, London The central shopping center in the piazza of Covent Garden is a beautifully refurbished 19th century building lined with specialty shops and cafes called the Apple Market. Unlike most of the commercial stores you will find in surrounding streets, the Apple Market is a place where independent crafts, jewelry, and art are available, as well as the standard tourist fare of Big Ben key chains. The nearby Jubilee Market, located in the South Piazza, is where to go to find a more varied and unique assortment of knick-knacks, including antiques on Mondays. During the holiday season the covered market’s vast arched ceilings are tinseled with candy canes and giant red suspended ornaments. A 15-foot-high green topiary reindeer is also positioned in the cobbled square, where choirs sing carols dressed in Santa hats on Sundays. A popular attraction is the kissing tree at Covent Garden, which is activated by couples underneath nearby mistletoe. Nothing says Merry Kissmas quite like 50,000 red and white lights illuminating you and your loved one.

Covent Garden

Insider Tip: On the corner of Apple Market is the infamous Ben’s Cookies shop. A great gift for friends [or yourself] is a red tin of eight assorted gooey warm cookies.

Borough Market I Southwark Street, London Guinness meat pies, gourmet cheeses, hot cider, and artisan chocolate truffles are among only a few of the many foodie favorites to be found in the traders’ stalls that are packed into the Borough covered market. Borough’s reputation as one of the best food markets in London, and Europe, began in the 13th century along what is now Borough High Street near the south bank of the river Thames. With 130 stalls, the market offers a wide selection of fresh produce from veggies to fruit, to meat and seafood. The holidays are an especially busy time for the market as people stock up on seasonal fare. During December the market is still open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with additional days that feature carol singers and traditional decorations. Borough Market also offers some of the best hot beverages in London at the chocolate café Rabot Estate, where hot chocolate comes in three varieties – original, chilli and ‘Christmas spiced.’ Also right around the corner is the number one coffee house in the city, Monmouth coffee. Check out this epicurean paradise to sample treats and soak in the festive atmosphere. Insider Tip: Find an array of gourmet nuts at the Cranberry stall, which are out of this world. This stall offers some of the best samples in the market. Make sure to try the chocolate covered cinnamon almonds.

Borough Market 33

Don’t See the world, they say. Broaden your horizons. Gain a new perspective by studying in a foreign country. You’ll never get a chance to travel like this again, so seize the opportunity while you’re in college. But won’t I? I know plenty of people who have made it their profession, their life, to traverse the globe. Living out of suitcases, loving airplane food, home three weeks a year wherever home may be. Sure, it’s not exactly the same as a chipper, naïve college student living in a fantasy world in Europe, but they never tell you the other side of the story. They never tell you how awful it is to come home. I spent the best four months of my 21-year existence as that naïve college student bouncing around Europe. My home base was in London, at a beautiful school nestled at the bottom of a royal park. From there, I jetted off to a different country every weekend. All those cities you hear and read about, where life is “so much better” than in America – they were my playgrounds. How could my own parents, the people who love me most, allow me to go gallivanting off in this magical dream world? Didn’t they know they were setting the bar too high, that nothing else would compare? It was cruel. And so I offer you, dear reader, an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. A chance to avoid the sharp and sour hurt you will be consumed by if ever you return from life in a foreign country. I give you the five reasons to never study abroad.

By: Sarah Cotton

3. You have no fashion sense. You think you’re so trendy with your ankle boots and crossbody bag? Please. Babies are wearing those in Europe. No matter what you wear, you will be three seasons behind the current fashion, and even if you somehow manage to catch up, you can’t pull it off. I don’t care what it is, it will always look better on a European. You might as well live on a farm, where the only thing you have to worry about in the morning is which color flannel to put on and whether your jeans are too muddy to wear again. 4. You are a college student, and therefore you have no money. Let’s be honest, your weekly paycheck from that restaurant downtown is being spent on shoes and booze. Somehow you manage to convince yourself that you’re spending wisely. Meanwhile, your parents are pulling their hair out trying to figure out how you’ll ever be able to pay off your student loans, because you’re probably not an engineering major. So why do you think you can afford to live and study in one of the most expensive countries on planet Earth? News flash: you can’t. You will blow through so much cash each day it’ll make your head spin, and you’ll chalk it up to “the cultural experience.” Museums and art galleries in London are free. Clearly your money isn’t going toward too much culture there. But nice try. 5. “You are American, and therefore we hate you.” This is the mentality of most if not all people who live anywhere other than America, and for good reason. We are obnoxious. Our drinking age is 21, and we cannot handle ourselves as drunken 18-yearolds in the big bad city. We don’t understand the concept of “casual drinking” and we vomit on the sidewalks outside of royal parks. We are loud on the subway and ignorant of cultural customs. We are obnoxious. People don’t like us. We should stay home. Ignorance, dear readers, is bliss. We might as well embrace it. After all, if you never get your hopes up, they will never let you down.

1. The world does not need another cheesy picture of a tourist next to a historical monument, especially any “funny” ones. Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa (no, not Pizza), pinching your fingers on the top of the Eiffel Tower, serving Stonehenge on the plate of your hand. It’s been done. It’s been done to excess. No one wants to see your attempt, especially since your “photographer” friend will probably be less than adequate, and your shot will be slightly off, leaving you looking like a fool. 2. You don’t speak the language. I don’t care where you’re going, you don’t speak the language. England you say? Good luck understanding the dialects. “But, I’m going to become fluent once I study in France.” You probably won’t. No one in Paris has the patience to listen to you fumbling through your conjugations and slaughtering your accents. You will wind up frustrated, and the French will laugh at you. Save yourself the embarrassment and stay home.

Study Abroad

Preventing the

“Rudolph Nose”

this Cold Season

By: Dana Roach

Bathroom in Fairchild Hall Fending off the common cold as a college student may be on the list of near impossibilities. The mixture of minimum hours of sleep due to finals week cramming and end of finals week raging, blended with high levels of nail-biting-hair-pullingstress is the perfect recipe for a common cold – not to mention cramped living quarters and that annoying kid sitting next to you in lecture who keeps spewing germs in your direction. Add it all together, and it is a wonder anyone leaves for the holidays healthy. The easiest way to stay in good health, of course, would be to get those 8-plus hours of sleep every night and quarantine the sick. But we all know that is not going to happen. So we at Main Street magazine decided to do some research to uncover realistic ways for you to ward off the annoying sniffles and chaffed “Rudolph nose” as the semester winds down and the winter months roll in.

Nature’s Antibiotic: Echinacea If you wake up in the morning with a slight headache, scratchy throat, and a couple of sniffles, it is time to take action. When you have a cold coming on, there is still time to fight it off before it turns full-force. The herb echinacea is great for boosting up the immune system and nipping cold symptoms in the butt. Echinacea remedies come in four forms: throat sprays, teas, liquid extracts, and capsules. The taste is unpleasant to some, so the capsule is an excellent option for those with pickier taste buds. A couple of years ago, echinacea could only be found in health food stores. Now, this herbal wonder supplement is so popular it can be found at common drug stores and even some Walmart stores.

Power Mineral: Zinc Zinc has forever been the recommended cold defense. Take caution, though: recent studies from the FDA found that zinc-based nasal sprays can damage the user’s olfactory glands, limiting the sense of smell. Even though zinc sprays should be tossed in the trash, zinc lozenges like Cold-Eeze have been proven safe and helpful if taken every 2 to 3 hours during the 24-hour prevention window that begins the instant cold symptoms do. Zinc lozenges can be tainted with a nasty flavor, but with Cold-Eeze’s eight different varieties of drops (Cherry, Honey Lemon, Strawberries and Cream, Tropical Orange, Lemon Lime, Mint Frost, Pomegranate, and Chocolate Mint) there is no excuse not to have a bag on hand when cold season hits.

Antibacterial Defense: Clean Hands Germs on a college campus spread like wildfire, especially at UNH where every time a student enters a dining hall they put their hand on a scanner. Germs can linger for many hours. Every time you scan in before you eat, you collect the germs of hundreds of students that have scanned in before you. Using the antibacterial dispensers next to the scanners is a very good idea, but an even better idea is to have your own mini-antibacterial solution or hand wipes with you that do not dry out skin. We suggest Dessert Essence cleansing wipes or Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial sanitizing hand gel. Because viruses enter the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes, it is essential to keep your hands away from your face unless they have been washed or cleansed with an alcohol-based solution like the ones suggested above.

Temperature Treatment: Saunas In a 1989 study in Germany, scientists found that people who took two saunas a week got half as many colds throughout the year as people who did not sauna at all. Their theory is that when in a sauna, one is breathing in air that’s over 80 degrees, which is too hot for coldinducing viruses to survive in. UNH has saunas available for its students at the Whittemore Center; go check them out!

Key Ingredients: Water and Vitamins A, E, and C Drinking 64 ounces of water a day keeps you healthy by flushing out waste products the body creates when fighting viruses. Eating healthy – especially eating foods high in vitamin A, E, and C – builds up a strong immune system. Some possibilities to add to your diet that contain these vitamins include spinach, cabbage, kale, red bell peppers, mustard greens, oranges, melons, avocado, sunflower seeds, and almonds.

As finals start sneaking up, do not let viruses sneak up on you too. Nothing is more aggravating than having to take an exam with an incessant runny nose. And nothing is more irritating to your fellow peers than obnoxious nose blowing. So take a sauna, eat some guacamole, have some echinacea at hand, and avoid being Rudolph this December.

Candlelight Stroll By: Victoria Hanson

ortsmouth is a town that most of us are prone to gravitate to. With its brick sidewalks and quaint seaport homes, the atmosphere is full of that old world charm that has become lost in the static of the 21st century. Among the many shops and restaurants is Portsmouth’s best preserved piece of history—Strawbery Banke.

Strawbery Banke, initially named by the early British settlers for its growing berries, is the remnants of life during the late 17th to the mid-20th century. The piece of land was rescued from an urban renewal policy during the 1950s whose many historical homes were saved and renovated. It has been transformed into a museum full of shops, gardens, homes, and even characters from several different time periods. The museum has provided countless visiting opportunities to locals and travelers alike, such as educational programs and fieldtrips for school children, general admission tours, as well as many special events. Among those special events is the Candlelight Stroll, described by the Boston Globe as “One of the top 10 things not to miss in New England.” Though Strawbery Banke is a wonderful place to experience by both children and adults all year long, there is something about visiting during the holiday season that makes it extra special. When the holidays roll around and this cozy town is garnished with glittering lights and fragrant greens, so is Straw-

bery Banke, gearing up for its increasingly popular holiday event. This holiday celebration welcomes its guests to step back in time and witness the Christmas season of centuries ago. The stroll has been part of Strawbery Banke for 32 years, making it the oldest tradition of the museum, and over the years has attracted more and more visitors from all over New England. The event is now part of something called “Portsmouth’s Vintage Christmas.” This is a town wide event that occurs during the first three weekends in December. This year the event will happen December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18. During this time, Market Square is transformed into a winter wonderland, with a tree lighting and parade marking the beginning of the event during the first weekend. Visitors can take trolley rides through Market Square, stroll through the many shops, or get a bite to eat. Strawbery Banke partners up with the Music Hall for this seacoast tradition, so stopping by for a show or attending the stroll at Strawbery Banke is a must. Tickets to experi-

Ralph Morang

ence the Candlelight Stroll are $20 per person, $10 for ages 5 to 17 years old, and can be purchased online through their website, as well as at the museum itself. The heart of the Candlelight Stroll is its beautiful re-enactment of the Christmas season through decorated homes, holiday cooking, historic stories, music, and of course, candle lit pathways to guide the way. An interview with Stephanie Seacord, the Director of Marketing Communications for the museum, allowed us to get a deeper look at what exactly is behind the heart of it all. Seacord explained that the stroll has been part of the museum for so long that it has become “part of who we are, although it has evolved over time.” She was sure to stress the development and evolution of the event, since the progression of time plays a huge role. In order to make the stroll a little bit different every year, the stories told by each household in the museum are a progression of a specific family’s history. Families from each house will tell their Christmas story as if it were exactly 100, 200, or even 300 years ago, depending on the household. No two Christmas stories will be the same as you progress from one house to the next, for each story is another chapter of each family’s life. One may have relatives visiting, another, a new baby to welcome into the home. But no matter what the story, it is always historically accurate. When asked how the museum obtained all of these historic family stories, Seacord explained that the museum not only has a curatorial staff, but an archeologist on site. Records are examined, such as journal entries, foundations of the houses are examined, and even digs are performed. Just recently a multiyear dig was finished on the Chase house. Often times, digs can produce articles of clothing or pieces of pottery/tools that were once used. From there they can be examined and their use can be determined. Other pieces of the historical puzzle are put together through accounts from actual descendents. Seacord explained that overall it is a combination of people who know their practice, the use of best techniques, the conserving of collections, and extensive and detailed research. So much work is put into the museum and the Candlelight Stroll. Since each family has a story to tell, role players are incorporated into the scene to allow for an authentic feel. Role

David Murray

players are assigned an individual to study and then take on that character for their entire time at Strawbery Banke. This way they are able to develop and learn their character like the back of their hand throughout the years. For example, there is one woman who plays Mrs. Goodwin, who was a governor’s wife. During the Candlelight Stroll her home is full of all sorts of goodies in the kitchen, handmade decorations from her garden, and of course, her best china set on the table. Mrs. Shapiro, who is also played by one woman only, is a Russian-Jewish Immigrant who arrived in Portsmouth at the turn of the century, and will be glad to discuss what living in the town was like during that particular time period. Having this unique experience of role playing characters on site really allows visitors to get an intimate view of a specific person. Seacord described these local role players as a “special group of people” who she sees as both actors and historians. However, having just the museum, the artifacts, and the role players simply dos not suffice. When asked how the community plays a role in this process, Seacord’s voice changed as she described the essential part that the visitors play. “There is an element, a dimension, that’s added when the visitors are here” she explained. “When we put real, contemporary people in the frame of buildings, landscapes and stories…we are animating the picture.” She went on to explain how seeing a child bedazzled by the lights and the stories, the families that bring their children to the event every year, and even a man who proposed during the celebration, is what really makes it special. It is certainly an event that helps bring out the best of the season. Strawbery Banke is a museum that has become an integral part of the Portsmouth community, and even the holiday season here on the seacoast. Help to support the organization by visiting their website, Facebook page, and the museum itself. Strawbery Banke has a multitude of other special events it provides to the community, including “Ghosts on the Banke” during the Halloween Season, “An American Celebration” for The Fourth of July, and several others. There’s no doubt that if you’re looking for something unique and full of holiday spirit to do this season, visiting Strawbery Banke for its Candlelight Stroll will not leave you disappointed.

Confessions of a Caffeinated Campus By: Alexandra Churchill

Breaking New Grounds Durham, NH

It’s midnight and you have to face the facts – it’s going to be an all-nighter and you can’t take on that

10-page paper alone tonight. So what do you do? You reach for a third cup of coffee, half-empty Red Bull, or that 5-Hour Energy shot and plow through your work. But is that really good for you? 38

It’s no surprise that we drink so much caffeine. We run between classes, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars without a minute to spare and still manage to go out on weekend nights. The key to our secret is usually a cup of coffee here, a diet Coke to-go there, a Red Bull on the run, relying on caffeine to stretch our 9-to-5s to 7-to-midnight or beyond. But what are we really doing to our bodies with all that coffee, diet Coke, and 5 Hour Energy? According to a study conducted by the University of Kentucky, over 80 percent of college students consume caffeine in some form daily. Sarah Lavoie, a UNH senior, said she relies on copious cups of coffee to get through her day. “I basically need my Starbucks to function in the mornings,” Lavoie said, laughing. “I usually drink about three or four cups of coffee and maybe a Diet Coke every day. I would definitely not be able to get through the week without caffeine.” Haley Wood, a junior who used to work as a Starbucks barista in the neighboring town of Lee, said she served hundreds of commuter students daily chugging coffee and working for hours in their café. “In the mornings, we’d go through tons of pots,” Wood said. “Some of our regular customers would come in for coffee once, even twice a day.” One of the regular patrons at Breaking New Grounds in Durham, junior Mike Reid, said he spends many hours during the week on his laptop in the small downtown café. He also said he’ll occasionally buy a Red Bull from Zeke’s Café in Dimond Library when he needs an extra boost during studying. Sophomore engineering major Bill Fisher is a self-admitted caffeine junkie. First thing in the morning, he fills his 10-ounce mug with coffee in the dining hall. It’s a caffeinated boost that keeps him alert for his 8 a.m. classes until he crashes by mid-afternoon, at which point he’ll stop by Albert’s Café in Kingsbury for a Red Bull. He’ll buy another one or a soda after dinner for the night when it’s time for homework. “During midterms and finals week, I know caffeine becomes my lifeline,” Fisher said. “I can chug a couple of Red Bull cans and finish my project the night before.” But according to student health centers like UNH Health Services, students like Fisher who use caffeine as a study aid probably don’t understand that this caffeinated cycle can work against them. About 12 to 16 hours after consuming caffeine, around bedtime, you can experience symptoms of withdrawal from irritability, headaches, fatigue, depression and anxiety, which can all result in insomnia. It’s evident that students are making a dent in the sales of energy drinks. According to the university, 60,000 energy drinks were sold on campus last year. UNH made headlines this fall after UNH President Mark Huddleston announced the school would remove caffeinated energy drinks like Full Throttle, Red Bull, Moxie Energy and NOS from vending machines and its seven dining halls, cafes and convenience stores starting in January. The university quickly backtracked on its impromptu-announced plan after an explosively negative reaction from the school community– particularly, students. Energy drinks typically contain more caffeine than sodas, including sugar and additional ingredients that claim to boost mental and physical energy. “These products, while legal and safe when consumed as intended, have been proven unsafe when overused or mixed with alcohol,” said David May, assistant vice president for business affairs. “Just recently there was an incident on campus involving energy drinks that helped send a student to the hospital.” Caffeine has made its way into our weekends too. Caffeinated alcoholic beverages – famously Four Loko – have been making a lot of hype with both college students who want to party longer and college administrators who say that they are dangerous. What makes these drinks so dangerous, they say, is how the caffeine stimulates the system while the alcohol depresses it, making students feel less drunk than they actually are. A June 2008 study published in the Journal of American College Health found that 26 percent of surveyed undergraduates reported consuming energy drinks mixed with alcohol in the past month. That’s about on par with a survey of New Hampshire college students conducted last spring with 20 percent of UNH participants reporting that they had mixed alcohol and energy drinks during the last 30 days. “They’re really popular with my circle of friends,” said senior Mark Meister. “I guess it would be a little inconvenient to have to go off campus [for energy drinks], but I like mixing them [with alcohol] and it doesn’t matter regardless if I have to get it on campus or the DUMP.” And while Red Bull gives you wings and Dunkin’s might keep you running, just like any other drug, caffeine is addictive. The more we drink, the more caffeine we need to feel energized, until we’re consuming our caffeine throughout the day just to function normally. This is especially true for us college students who treat caffeine like a life force, using coffee, soda, and energy drinks to sustain us through the day, and, sometimes as a substitute for sleep. We rely on caffeine as a study aid and a party companion. Junior Jillian Davis says it best, “When you’re feeling run-down at the end of the afternoon and I have a nightly lecture, honestly, what else can you think of but that next cup of coffee?”

Caffeine Count

Common Beverages & Caffeine Starbucks Venti Coffee

20 oz. = 415 milligrams caffeine

Dunkin’ Donuts Regular Coffee

16 oz. = 206 milligrams caffeine

Coca-Cola (regular or diet) 12 ounces = 54 milligrams caffeine

Monster Energy

16 oz. = 160 milligrams caffeine

Red Bull

8.3 oz. = 80 milligrams caffeine

Tea, brewed

8 oz. = 53 milligrams caffeine

Espresso shot

1.5 oz. = 77 milligrams caffeine 39

Housing Issues: Legacy in Question By: Shane Noonan

Mills Hall

nfortunately, some students might have to rethink their housing ideas for next year. The item in the hot seat to possibly be eliminated: in-hall squatting. By getting rid of squatting, Housing and Residence Life believes that several people who have been denied on-campus housing at first, will now have access to their own living spaces. “A decision hasn’t been made with regard to eliminating the squatting part of in-hall sign-ups,” Assistant Director of Housing, Amy T. Whitney explained. “It is however being considered so that the entire process can be streamlined while giving students equal chance of getting the room types/suites they want based on a standard priority point number and not based on the luck of their current assignment.” One of the largest issues attributed to the unfairness of squatting that would possibly be eliminated is the concept of “legacy” suites. Legacy suites are essentially when the same group of people has possession over a certain room each year. This occurs when one member of the group leaves or moves out, and the others simply pull in someone from their pool of friends to take the leaving person’s spot. As a result of the constant pulling in of friends, those who wish to seek new room assignments are unable to obtain a spot within the suites. Even though a verdict has not been reached as to whether or not to eliminate squatting, some students have caught wind of this idea, and disagree with it. “Squatting is fair because it holds onto the basic principle of ‘first come, first serve,’” junior Kathleen Brewster said. “Without squatting, several students might be unhappy with their room assignments for the following year.” If a student were to have a single in his or her first year at school and didn’t have the opportunity to squat his or her room, they might be disappointed to be placed in a double the following year. In this instance, squatting is helpful because if a student prefers living alone, he or she has the option to squat the single room to avoid future conflict that could possibly occur if he or she were put in a double or even a triple.

Removing the option of squatting a room would also displace many students from what they call “home.” Sophomore Nick Pellegrino explained, “I squatted my room because I love my dorm and all of the people in it. It’s like we were all a family.” Students also get comfort out of the familiarity of having the same room, which fosters the whole concept of how a dorm room can be like a second home. Demolishing squatting could displace people from these homes. As the student population knows, housing is quite difficult to acquire due to overcrowding. But, even if squatting were eliminated wouldn’t Housing and Residence Life have to place all of the squatters in rooms anyway? Wouldn’t these students still be taking up a spot in the residence halls? In fact, they would. The amount of people who actually squat their rooms is such a negligible percentage, that eliminating squatting may not help solve the issue of the overcrowding in housing. The most efficient way to solve this crisis would be to fund projects to build more dorms and off-campus housing. By building new dorms, more options would be available to incoming freshmen and all of those who are in need of a room change. Off-campus apartments could put a dent in the suite problem. Sophomore, Alyse Wisniewski said, “If more off campus apartments were built in the town of Durham, it would relieve some of the issues associated with the housing problem.” Constructing apartments in the town of Durham could be difficult though viable, considering the small size of the town. Wisniewski added, “more off-campus apartments in Durham could also bring more money into some of the local businesses, which would help them flourish.” More dorms and more apartments could also mean more money for the school. Eradicating squatting may not solve any problems at all; in fact it may only assist in creating more problems within each dorm because of the potential for unhappy students. With more funding to construct new living facilities squatters would be able to keep their homes, and those in need of space would have a plethora of options.

The Petrella Gallery

Inside Philbrook’s Petrella Gallery

By: Shannon Robertson

Adam Hill, founder of the Petrella Gallery in Philbrook dining hall, scoured the PCAC, searching for the best place to be interviewed – or simply the place with the best seats. He finally seemed content with the room he had chosen, one on the second floor used for painting. The air hung heavy with the odor of turpentine, and he courteously offered me the ‘comfortable chair’ with a pillow. I realized moments after sitting on it that it was, in fact, the pillow that a nude model had posed on – I could be absolutely positive of this from the many versions of one shapely female perched on every easel. I quickly began to get the feeling that Hill wasn’t indifferent about anything. That is the exact case with the Petrella Gallery. Adam Hill, currently a junior majoring in Biology, mentioned that during his first year as a student at UNH he noticed many people joining numerous different clubs and activities. While that was fine for some, he wanted to start something of his own. Instead of shuffling along and waiting for something to happen for him, he decided to start something new. “I would much rather create something than join something,” Hill said. This thinking, paired with his appreciation for art, was what motivated Hill to create his own gallery in conjunction with the UNH Student Art Association. Although Hill does not describe himself as an artist,

he created the sign for the gallery that is made out of eating utensils and wood. The gallery is one room, to the back left of the Philbrook sandwich bar, where students can eat and enjoy artwork produced by their peers. Anyone can submit to the gallery and everyone who enters can enjoy it. He wanted to make the campus more “entertaining,” and to create a place or outlet for students to show what they’re capable of. In addition, Hill wanted it to be something that everyone could appreciate, at least to some degree. Some might argue that Hill isn’t exactly qualified to run an art gallery. As someone who practices science, is pre-med, an EMT, a wilderness EMT, and researcher at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, at first glance it might seem strange that Hill would become involved with art. However, others might say that an artist is anyone with a vision. Hill had the idea for the gallery, and acted on it quickly by thoroughly cultivating the idea and contacting the right people. “I’m really compulsive. When I have an idea, I kind of just do it. It’s usually a good thing,” Hill said. Hill named the gallery for his grandmother, Theresa Petrella, someone close to his heart. Hill likes to think that the gallery is beneficial to others in more of an indirect way, and has had this notion confirmed by students like senior Sarah Nelson. Nelson was recently asked about doing a commission for someone who saw one of her paintings hanging in the gallery. While Adam doesn’t plan on dedicating his life to creating art galleries, he does plan to use the experience in his future by using the ability to bring together many talented individuals and to make something bigger than anyone could create on their own. In the future, Hill hopes to expand the gallery to another room in Philbrook, which should be done as soon as the end of J-term. The gallery has found its way into the routine of Philbrook, now a space and atmosphere all its own. Instead of “let’s sit in the ESPN room,” those who are so inclined can now say, “let’s sit in the gallery.” Students who wish to submit work can do so by emailing a picture of their piece, its title, artist name, medium, and date of creation to petrella.gallery@gmail.com.

(continued from page 27) heard. Not only do blogs critique music, they have also become a critical component in unearthing artists and giving them life. At the forefront of the changes is the website HypeMachine. com, which compiles articles and songs from thousands of music blogs and ranks songs according to their buzz on the web. It’s yet another way of finding out what’s popular now. A direct benefactor of the HypeMachine, Lucas has been featured at the top of its list multiple times. “Music blogs are absolutely essential,” Lucas says. “Nobody would have found out about me if it wasn’t for music blogs, because you have to start somewhere. Especially because as a mash-up artist, you can’t sell your songs because you’re just doing reworks and remixes, you’re not doing originals. It’s really got to be word of mouth, play it at parties, stuff like that. People find out about it and dig deeper.” Even though Lucas’ notoriety and presence in the EDM genre is growing, he is an incredibly affable and down-to-earth guy. Originally hailing from Lexington, Massachusetts, he is currently a senior at Lehigh University. Tall and gangly, he wears jeans and a pinny emblazoned with “Kap Slap” in gold lettering. Knowing he is about to go out and play for 2000 fans doesn’t faze him; it’s routine. However, it’s clear that the fame hasn’t gone to his head. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he says. “I still feel like a regular college kid.” He still deals with the demands of a regular college kid too. Currently enrolled in a 5 year Honors Integrated Business program at his university, Lucas says that balancing school with show dates is not easy. “Life is very surreal,” he says. “I wish I could tell you that there’s a certain formula or method that I’m doing, but I’m just trying to stay afloat right now. I’m functioning at a very high rate of,” he trails off, “…oh God, I don’t know.”

Wanted: Advertising Coordinator MSM Wants YOU! Main Street is looking for a business, communication, or otherwise qualified UNH student to fill a position for an advertising coordinator (AC). The AC would be responsible for working with the editorial and design staff in finding appropriate advertisements, in addition to working on deadline. Necessary skills include organization, communication, and an interest or background in marketing. The position offers a small stipend.

If interested, please send your résumé to mainstreetmagazine@gmail.com. 42

On The Spot By: Emily Reny

This issue’s student spotlight features UNH sophomore Nolan Russell: German and International Affairs major by day, ImprovAnonymous actor by (Thursday) night. Nolan in action

supposed to laugh. And that just makes you feel like you’re bombing. I was nervous, but once I got going I felt a little bit more comfortable. MSM: What was it like to perform with ImprovAnonymous for the first time? NR: In high school I never really got nervous for improv shows because I was just preforming for other kids and their moms and dads. I got pretty nervous for my first ImprovAnonymous performance, although newbies aren’t put in a lot of skits- maybe, like, two. MSM: What’s your favorite improv game? NR: My favorite improv game would have to be “The Dating Game,” when I get to play one of the datees. It’s like a dating show. There’s a host, a person looking to date someone, and three datees. The datees are asked three questions, and when they answer the questions they give hints as to what character they’re playing. It’s always fun to get funny audience suggestions to act out. I also really like to beatbox. MSM: Would you say that beatboxing is your specialty? NR: Yeah, I think so. Some people in the troupe certainly have skills that others don’t, onstage or offstage. Parker can play the piano, and Sydney can sing very well. And then there’s James who plays the guitar, and the rest of us just fill in the gaps with our own little quirks. A lot of us have characters that we tend to fall back on sometimes, but we’re continuously trying to develop new characters. MSM: Are you ever inspired by your surroundings for certain characters or scene ideas? NR: Yeah, I am – just from observing the public. It’s easy here, because you’re around so many people. Maybe something happens at the dining hall, or someone behind you is having a really weird conversation and you just kind of pick up a character out of that. MSM: What’s your worst memory of a skit you’ve preformed? Did something ever just bomb?

Main Street Magazine: Let’s start from the beginning. Where does your humor come from? Nolan Russell: It all began with my grampie and my dad. They are both probably the funniest guys I know. Also, my older brother Evan is hysterical. I think it’s just family influence and also friends. My roommate, Travis, always knows how to make me laugh. MSM: Is ImprovAnonymous the first improv group you’ve been involved with? NR: ImrovAnonymous is not. In high school I was involved in a group called “The Milkmen.” I did dramatic, scripted shows, too. They were fun but I didn’t enjoy them as much because they’re not within my sphere. MSM: How did you hear about ImprovAnonymous? NR: I knew about it because my older brother Evan was best friends with an improv-er named Joe Nelson. At Freshman Jukebox, I saw Joe after they did their show and he said that auditions would be in a couple weeks from that point. And I said, “Okay, I’ll be there!” MSM: What were auditions like? NR: Auditions were nerve-racking. It was me and about 10 other kids. We stood on a big lighted stage and all the improvers were sitting behind a table with pens and paper. They were watching and not laughing at things that they probably should be laughing at, but they’re not

NR: Well, you bomb every show, but I can think of one particular instance at a dorm show last year. In the skit we were playing, Zach was a chicken and I had to catch him. I leaped and grabbed his hips but ended up pantsing him. I didn’t know I had done it because I was still looking at the ground. Everyone died laughing and Zach just ran away. After the skit was over, Joe came up to me and said, “Dude, you just pantsed Zach.” I didn’t know! It turned out to be funny, but maybe not for Zach. MSM: Do people ever recognize you from shows? NR: When I got into ImprovAnonymous, my roommate, Travis, said, “You know, people are probably going to start recognizing you,” and I said, “Yeah, I don’t know about that.” And then all of the sudden, random people in the dining hall would just come up to me and say, “Hey, uh, are you in the improv group?” I always make sure to ask them their name so it’s more personal. MSM: After college, do you want to keep up with comedy? NR: I hope to. I hope that wherever I go with German and International Affairs there will be someplace I can do some sort of improv. If I can’t do that, maybe I’ll try standup. MSM: Do you have any parting words for our readers? NR: Thanks for reading this and if you see me, say hi. Come to ImprovAnonymous on Thursday nights at the MUB!

mainstreetunh.com | Meetings: Mub 12 Tuesdays 8 p.m.