January 23 marked the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year! The ...

Newsletter Staff:

Mosammad Rahman

Sierra Chandler

Jordan Jhamb

Julia Yeung

Ariel Love

Contributors:

Lauren Flack

Daniel Giordano

Jacqlyn Lovejoy

Monique Booker

In This Issue:

Chinatown Food &

Walking Tour

The Corner will Bill and

Dr. Ida Dupont

Chinese Lunar New

Year Parade!

Daniel Giordano:

Growth

Pace’s Got Knowledge:

Dr. Emily Welty

Art Retrospective at

The Bronx

Documentary Center

Pace’s Dramatic

“Master Plan”

What’s on Your

Graduation Wish List?

Poetry & Photography

Submit to the

Newsletter and E-

Journal!

Honors College One Pace Plaza – Suite W 207G

New York, New York 10038 Telephone: 212-346-1697

Dr. Ida Dupont Director [email protected], x11146 Dr. Bill Offutt Faculty Advisor [email protected], x10399 IM: BillOffutt Charissa Che Advisor, Editor [email protected] Aydde Martinez Program Coordinator [email protected], x10398

Annamaria Santamaria, Noor Fatima, Andrea Carlson Student Assistants x 10397 & x10395

January 23 marked the start of the

Chinese Lunar New Year! The Year

of the Dragon symbolizes a time of

good fortune and happiness. In

celebration, we were given a private

tour of Chinatown by the folks at

Free Tours by Foot that was both

scrumptious and informative.

Try a wasabi or lychee scoop! Having opened in 1978, CICF is Editor, Charissa Che with Dr. Ida Dupont often regarded as an unofficial NYC landmark.

Simply named, “Fried Dumpling,” this hidden gem serves up the imperative New Year’s dish for cheap: a dollar

for four!

Aji Ichiban: A munchies paradise for sesame-flavored

marshmallows, Durian candy, and mini crabs

When searching for inspiration, I tend to rely on old “geezer” rock, like this:

When illusion spin her net

I'm never where I want to be And liberty she pirouette

When I think that I am free. Watched by empty silhouettes

Who close their eyes but still can see No one taught them etiquette

I will show another me. Today I don't need a replacement

I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant

My heart going boom boom boom

"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,

they've come to take me home."

--Peter Gabriel, “Solsbury Hill”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMwn_hnoS5Y

Honors tries to give you an enormous number of things to do. How many of you look at my e-

mail address and say, “Oh, no, not another something to do—delete”? So many choices, so many

things; many of them only vaguely connected to you. It’s very hard to sort through all the stuff, let

alone deal with the choices.

There is a growing body of literature, in economics and sociology, suggesting that more choices

among things do not equal more happiness; that we in fact get less satisfaction when there are 40

choices of desserts than when there are 5. Too many things often leave people worried—did I make the

best choice; should I wait until I get more info; is that one over there better—but having no choice

leaves people feeling trapped, dictated to, unappreciated. I believe that “liberty she pirouette” when

you think that you can find happiness by choosing things—then you are not free.

The liberty of your college years is therefore about creating “another me,” where you can say

with a smile, “Keep my things, they’ve come to take me home.” So I ask you to remember, as you plow

through all the choices thrown at you, that people are more important than things, and that Honors

will always take you home.

This is written in memory of Samantha Kwek, Honors 2011 graduate, while hearing Jackson

Browne’s “Song for Adam” in my head-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnIDTEwxWo

Hi Honors students,

I hope you are all having a great semester so far. The following are a few friendly reminders about upcoming events and deadlines.

Senior Thesis deadlines for students graduating in May:

o Sign up for a time slot for your thesis

presentation by April 16 by emailing me at [email protected]

o Drafts of the thesis must be handed in to your thesis advisor AND the Honors Office no

later than April 18th

o Mandatory thesis presentations will be held on April 25th or 26th

o Final bound copy due in the Honors Office by May 3rd

If you want to be granted a research stipend of up to $1000, now is the time to apply for the

Pforzheimer Honors College Research Grant.

The Pforzheimer Honors College Research Grants are designed to support and encourage

Honors College students in research for projects that will produce exemplary senior theses.

The stipend, up to $1000, may be used on or off campus and can support study or travel abroad

related to the student’s research interest.

This grant is open to student-faculty teams from all fields of study:

You must be a currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at Pace University who joined the Honors College in Fall 2005 or later.

You must have completed at least 90 credits at the end of Spring 2012; maintained an overall grade point average of at least 3.3; and had some prior experience either in completing a significant research or writing project, participating in an internship, or engaging in community service or occupational involvement relevant to the proposed research.

The deadline is April 15. You can find the application on the Honors College NYC website

under “Forms,” or pick up the application in the Honors office.

If you are interested in taking part in Study Abroad, email Chris Hoffmann, Assistant Director of Study

Abroad. You can email him at [email protected] or visit him in his office, W207 in 1 Pace Plaza

(right next to the Honors College offices)

Review the “Fellowships and Scholarships” section of the Honors College NYC website. There are many

exciting grants for research and study abroad. If you have questions about any of them, please contact

me at [email protected] or Bill Offutt at [email protected].

And join us for cultural, intellectual and social events hosted by the Honors College! I will keep you

posted about upcoming events. I especially encourage you to attend our bi-monthly Pace’s Got

Knowledge lunchtime lectures:

“Technocratic Responses to the Politicization of Risk: Underwater Munitions in New York City’s

Gravesend Bay and Narrows”

Dr. Matthew Bolton, Political Science Department

Wednesday, February 15, 12:20-1:15, Meeting Room A, Student Union

“Q: Can You Control Domestic Violence Like Other Crimes? A: We Think So”

Professor Susan Herman, Criminal Justice Department

Wednesday, March 7, 12:20-1:15, Lecture Hall South, 2nd floor of 1 Pace Plaza

Cultural Mythology and Global Leadership”

Dr. Eric Kessler, Lubin School of Business Management & Management Science

Wednesday, March 21, 12:20-1:15, Meeting Room A, Student Union

"Money and Monotheism: Religion and Economics in the Abrahamic Traditions"

Dr. Eddis Miller, Philosophy and Religious Studies Department

Wednesday, April 4, 12:20-1:15, Meeting Room A, Student Union

“Childfree by Choice: Stereotypes and Stigma Management”

Dr. Ida Dupont, Sociology and Anthropology Department

Wednesday, April 18, 12:20-1:15, Lecture Hall North, 2nd floor of 1 Pace Plaza

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or

come by my office in the Honors College (W207I).

Best,

Dr. Ida Dupont

After spending quite a bit of time squeezing through crowds of people leaning over

metal barricades (and each other) in anticipation, searching for just the right viewing spot, I

was able to witness my first Chinese New Year Parade in New York City. This year, the Chinese

Lunar New Year celebrates the Year of the Dragon and marks the end of the winter season

based on the Chinese calendar. It begins on the first day of the year, which this year landed on

January 23rd. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, meaning it is based both on moon phase and the

solar year, which is why the date differs with each year. As this occasion is considered one of the

most important holidays in China–where it is called the “Spring Festival”–it was only natural

that the parade was held in

Chinatown, with an amazing

spectacle of floats, bands, and of

course, dragons.

Though it was a chilly Sunday afternoon, the turnout was huge:

families, friends, and neighbors lined up along the streets to catch a glimpse of

the show. If you were within a block of the parade, chances are you found

yourself stuck in a sea of people. Moving through to get a good view was

difficult. After some effort, I was able to get to a good spot along the side of the

street. When I finally was able to see everything, I began to understand why this

is such an immensely popular and celebrated event.

The floats, many of which were sponsored by local organizations and

businesses, were unique and colorful; showers of glittery confetti came along with each one that passed by. Some floats had singers or played

music; others carried children smiling and waving. Members of the parade threw candy

and red envelopes into the crowds, and when the cheering was loudest, I knew that it

meant that the stars of the parade were headed down the street. The dragons were by

far my favorite. Varying in size and displaying shiny colors of red, green, and blue, they

floated through the streets, moving side to side and up and down, and occasionally

looking into the crowd of spectators. This realistic movement was achieved through

children being lifted and lowered beneath the dragon, a skill that is sure to have

required much synchronicity and timing.

By the end of the parade, my legs were sore from standing, I had been hit and

slapped multiple times by people trying to catch candy or envelopes, and a stranger had

used my head as a camera stand without my permission. Despite this, I had a great time.

Standing there and watching the parade, I had felt as if I was a kid. I don’t think I was

the only one, either. All around me, adults had reached and grabbed for candy or to

catch confetti, rushed to take pictures with the dragons, laughed with Mickey Mouse, and waved at the marching bands. Everyone, no matter

their age, was having fun. And after seeing for myself this awe-inspiring and colorful celebration of culture, I wasn’t surprised.

Photo Credit: Monique Booker

(From Panspermia to Butoh dance, an emphasis on flesh)

By Daniel Giordano

As part of the Sea-Change Something Rich and Strange Project Studio Exhibition

Pace University’s Peter Fingesten Gallery

December 6th

-17th

, 2011

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Visit his blog: www.atrophi.blogspot.com

Through sculpture, collage and

drawing, I hope to establish a link

between spirituality and science by

constructing my vision of a deity. By

depicting the act of growth, I build a

bridge between concrete, archetypal

imagery sourced from belief systems

and the enigmatic grotesqueness and

peculiarity of flesh.

–Daniel Giordano

I have confined myself to uniformly-sized and aged paper for the collaged and

drawn images. The collages were made mainly from found items, including butterfly wings and shed snakeskin,

with some traces of pencil and ink drawn in my own hand.

The sculptures are a playful juxtaposition of the human form from the waist down, which serves as a planter or host to organic

growth spurting from inner flesh. In a way, I inflated and exemplified each person I photographed as an

extension of their personality. I'm interested in epiphyte; also

known as an aerial plant that grows upon another plant. They

can be found abundantly in places such as rainforests. Also, it’s

the connection between human growth and plant growth, and

how internally, humans are remarkably similar to plants.

By Mosammad Rahman

By Sierra Chandler

On the December 9, a small group of Honors College students, led by Professor Ida Dupont, went to the Bronx

Documentary Center to view an exhibit on the life and work of photojournalist Tim Hetherington. The exhibit is the first to display Tim’s final photos, taken in Libya in the days before he was killed in combat on April 20, 2011.

We were immediately taken by Tim’s unique style of using various photography methods to produce more than just a picture. He believed there was a theatricality to war and would use that concept as a structure to his photos. The situation in Libya was no exception, especially considering that most of the rebels would not have had any military training. Instead they would have

had to reenact what they saw in movies. In several of his photos, he would leave the flash on, even in the daytime, to create that theater-like style.

The high point of the visit was when we gathered around one particular picture and each described what it meant to us. The picture was of an older man holding a large, live bomb in his hands with his two sons or grandsons on either side, each holding their own miniature bomb. All of us had very different reactions to this photo. To me, I didn’t see the context of the war in Libya, but instead thought it was sweet in a familial way. The first thing I thought of when seeing the photo was when I was around 6 years old and my father taught me how to shoot a gun. As terrible as the image was, it was somehow also a completely beautiful photo.

During our visit, there were several points brought up from Tim’s photos that we discussed and debated. For example, should we be allowed to show pictures of dead soldiers in the media? What should the rules be? Of course, we all had different answers to these questions, but it was a testament to Tim’s photos that such issues could shine through a visual medium.

Also on display was Restrepo, the stirring documentary that Tim had filmed. We were shown 10 minutes of it and were completely captivated. You may view the whole documentary at the gallery or on Netflix Instant.

I highly recommend that you to look up Tim’s work through the years as he

was quite fantastic at what he did. My personal favorite project of his was called “Sleeping Soldiers,” which is not as creepy as it sounds. Every photo is literally a picture of an active soldier sleeping. I promise that you have never seen a soldier look so peaceful or innocent as in this work.

The Bronx Documentary Center is free to everyone and is located at 614 Courtlandt Avenue on 151st Street.

By Julia Yeung

Pace University’s Pleasantville and New York City campuses are undergoing renovations to further the school’s academic mission and

improve students’ overall campus experiences. The goal is to accommodate the increasing amount of academic programs being offered and

support the growing student residential population. Changes are already underway and will span the next five to ten years.

Changes for the Pleasantville campus involve improving the atmosphere of the 200-acre campus. All of the Briarcliff Campus buildings

are being moved to Pleasantville to form a joint community. Three new dormitories, including a renovated Martin Hall and three new

townhouse-style residence halls, will increase the number of student residencies

from 690 to 1,400. Parking facilities will be rearranged for an aesthetically-appealing

quad and student walkways at the center of the campus. The football and baseball

fields will also be improved with added facilities.

The Master Plan in New York City involves bringing students within

walking distance to One Pace Plaza and improving Pace’s function as an urban

campus: “Several important projects are already underway, including a new 600-bed

residence hall being built at 180 Broadway, exciting renovations to the Pace Plaza

courtyard, and a dedicated laboratory and classroom facility for the College of

Health Professions,” said William McGrath, the Sr. VP and Chief Administrative

Officer at the University. “And we continue to introduce state-of-the-art classroom

technology campus-wide. These, along with the many other projects shown in the

plan, will improve student life while providing an atmosphere that will allow our students and academic programs to thrive.”

As Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at

the University, Dr. Harriet R. Feldman added, “I am very enthusiastic about the

NYC Master Plan as I think it will provide a more enriched living-learning

experience for all Pace students.” Feldman added that there will be the addition of a

new performing arts building.

A Student Welcoming Center will also be constructed on the first floor of

One Pace Plaza and will have admissions services, registrar, and bursar offices all in

one location. The Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and the Lubin School of

Business will have separate identities: Dyson will be relocated to 41 Park Row and

Lubin will occupy the East building of One Pace Plaza. The schools’ respective

lobbies and entrances will feature aesthetic adjustments that will improve their

overall look and flow. The creation of entryways, walkways, and courtyards from

common spaces will give students the ability to engage easily with peers.

In addition to bringing about positive gains for Pace students academically and socially, the renovations are expected to increase the

University’s imprint in Manhattan to boost internship and job opportunities for students.

Graduation Wish List By Jacqlyn Lovejoy

If you could have anything in the world for graduation, what would it be? This is what I asked a random

sample of 153 Pace University students. Using an online survey, I asked respondents to answer four simple

questions about their gender, grade, residence, and their gift choice.

The questionnaire was mostly taken by girls (with a number of 123 females to 28 males). Sophomores

and juniors had the highest number of takers followed by freshmen. Surprisingly, most of the students who

completed the study live in New York City but do not dorm. Finally, the most popular gift chosen was money

followed by a year’s worth of rent for an apartment. The following graphs and charts show the results of each

question.

The options for graduation presents included money, a dream vacation, a year’s worth of rent for an

apartment, a car, expensive clothing or jewelry, and other. For dream vacation and other, students were

allowed to fill add more information. The most popular and interesting ones are listed below:

81.46%

18.54%

Gender

Female

Male

0

10

20

30

40

50

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate Student

34

43 43

28

5

Grade

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Maria's Tower Dorms

John Street Dorms

Fulton Dorms

Brooklyn Dorms

Commute from within

NYC

Commute from

outside NYC

19 19

11 17

65

22

Location

50

27

35

19

4

18

Graduation Gift

Sophomores and juniors wanted money the most

while seniors wanted a dream vacation. Freshman

made up the majority of those who wanted

expensive clothing or jewelry.

Commuters and those living in Maria’s Tower and

Fulton wanted money the most while students

living in John Street and Brooklyn wanted rent for

an apartment.

The majority of females wanted money as a

graduation gift trailed by a year’s worth of rent for

an apartment. The thing that men wanted the

most was a car followed closely by money.

Dream Vacation Other

Caribbean Significant Other

Fiji Great Paying/Dream Job

Europe Dream Wedding (Completely Paid For)

India Full Scholarship to Grad School

Thailand Student Loan Forgiveness

World Tour Money to Pay off College Debt

Cruise House

Volunteering in South/Southeast/East Asia Unending Happiness and Contentment

Hitchhiking Across America

While analyzing a cross tabulation of the data, I noticed some interesting statistics:

0 2 4 6 8

10 12 14 16

Grade and Graduation Gift

Freshman Sophomores Juniors Seniors Graduate Students

0

5

10

15

20

25

Maria's Tower Dorms

John Street Dorms

Fulton Dorms

Brooklyn Dorms

Commute from within

NYC

Commute from outside

NYC

Location and Graduation Gift

Money Dream Vacation Apartment (A year's rent) Car Expensive Clothing/Jewelry Other

43

23 29

11

3

14 7

4 5 8

0 4

Gender and Graduation Gift

Female Male

Lights and Limbs

Possibility breathes breath Here alone. It is boundless, courageous— Unafraid of unknown My head spins as all Lights and limbs Dance around I now dance too, To infinite sound.

—Ariel Love

Nocturnal Wanderings

I vowed to always lock away my heart to let it heal from the horrible despair; That comes with being at the very start Of gathering all its cracks to repair. Yet life always seems to be a surprise. With hollow promises that are to be Wrapped in extremely convincing disguise, Intentionally binding me to thee. You catch me in your sparkling pools of blue Tricking my heart to feel safe once again. Under the multicolored lights I knew, A truer love was about to begin. Alas all dreams have to come to an end. Another night I will not let you win.

—Lauren Flack

Ours to Defend

At Full Speed

A Way Out

See

The Honors Newsletter is a monthly online publication that features work

by Honors students ranging from art work, to Op/Ed pieces, to essays, to news

stories. Additionally, each Newsletter will cover some special Honors and Non-

Honors events that took place that month. If you are interested in submitting art,

poetry, photography, music, commentary on important social/political issues, or

any topic you feel strongly about—or, if you simply plan on attending any of our

future events and reporting on them—this may be the outlet for you!

The Pforzheimer Honors College E-Journal is an interdisciplinary

publication produced online each semester, and includes a selection of both

literary and academic works. You are encouraged to submit a piece of work that

you have completed during your undergraduate years. Works published in the E-

Journal may cover a wide range of subjects, including poetry, memoirs, theater

arts, women and gender studies, biology, politics, and history.

If you are interested in submitting to The Honors Newsletter and/or The Honors

E-Journal, please email me at [email protected].

I look forward to perusing your work!

Charissa Che

Advisor Editor of Honors Newsletter and E-Journal