Samantha Wong – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Fri, 06 Jul 2018 07:47:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Samantha Wong – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Wong: Sincerely, me https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/18/wong-sincerely-me/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/18/wong-sincerely-me/#respond Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:07:14 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1142165 My favorite story to tell anxious underclassmen who are facing challenging midterms, summer internship hunts and Other Life Obstacles is how I was rejected from The Daily.

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My favorite story to tell anxious underclassmen who are facing challenging midterms, summer internship hunts and Other Life Obstacles is how I was rejected from The Daily.

I always wanted to try writing for a newspaper but had zero experience. The application asked me to attach a “clip” or a sample of my own writing I had nothing on my brand new Macbook except my 20-page AP Lit paper on Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.” (In retrospect, I don’t blame the application reader for automatically chucking me into the “discard” pile.)

Still, I’ll never forget the feeling of lying in my bed and hearing shouts of “Welcome to The Daily!” travel from one end of Burbank’s first floor to the other. It hurt, until it didn’t.

If I hadn’t been rejected from The Daily, I would have never joined The Lomita Arts and Culture Blog in the spring. The Lomita became The Grind. I became a staff writer, then a Managing Editor, and this year, the Executive Editor for Volume 252.

Like that rejection experience, so much of what I’ve learned at Stanford exists outside of the classroom. The learning happens while I’m sitting on the floor of a friend’s room in Slav, walking from the med school campus to Stern, exploring San Francisco with SoCo friends, eating Treehouse pizza during a late production night at The Daily’s office, and even lying under my twin XL covers and trying not to cry when I wasn’t rolled out. All of these moments have been defined by authenticity.

Stanford lets me be my truest self. To clarify, I was never prevented from being myself, but I always felt afraid to be vulnerable. I hid my sharp edges and rough patches with a veneer of seeming perfection. I needed that Daily rejection to realize that no one is ever perfect.

Each rejection and failure I received over the years (and I received many) stung, but they forced me to carve new identities. Here was proof that I wasn’t perfect so what else was I? The possibilities were endless.

I could be caring, I realize, when I wrap upset friends in hugs or listen to a resident update me on their life. I could be witty, I notice, when I write the perfect pun for a teaser headline or crack a joke that makes my friends literally roll with laughter. I could be strong, I think, when I get through another jam-packed week of classes and projects while balancing a job and staffing. I could be a writer, a doctor, a student, a friend.

The moments that defined me and helped me shape this new, truer me aren’t extraordinary. I didn’t “find myself” when I listened to Oprah’s talk in MemChu or snapped a selfie with Al Gore (although those moments were pretty cool). I learned more about myself when I choked back tears on the phone with my mom after another devastatingly difficult exam. When my RA drove me to my professor’s memorial and squeezed my hand in support. When I danced my heart out with friends at a BAC gig. When I sat and marveled at the glow of Main Quad at sunset.

This metamorphosis would have been impossible without the support of the incredible friends I’ve made during my time here. Take away the sandstone, the fancy labs, the fountains, the glitz I didn’t need any of those to find my people.

I’m drawn to people who are unflinchingly honest with themselves. It’s a quality that dwindles, I realized, as we grow up the protective veneers are necessary to combat a life of networking and cocktail receptions and meetings. Yet I’ve found that Stanford has an exceedingly large proportion of people who are unafraid of being themselves, whether that means geeking out over old films or having spontaneous dance parties to Taylor Swift.

We all want authenticity, as the success and growth of The Grind demonstrates. We want to hear how other folks are struggling, surviving and thriving. We want to read about caterpillars, anxiety, the best places to get coffee and why our history matters. We want to hear the minutiae and the colloquial.

I hope I won’t forget the authentic moments that felt hyperreal, like standing on the edge of a boat rushing past the Bay Bridge, the lights of the city sparkling like so many stars in the sky and reflected in the sea. Surrounded by friends and laughter and music and love.

I hope I remember what it’s like to be 21 and my truest self, someone who is not just unafraid of, but craves, sincerity and rawness in every experience. I won’t ever forget Stanford, but I hope I never forget this.

Coming full circle, The Daily stopped turning away applicants the year after my rejection. We welcome everyone to be their most authentic self.

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Despite logistical challenges, Clusterfest brings gut-busting laughs to San Francisco https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/06/despite-logistical-challenges-clusterfest-brings-gut-busting-laughs-to-san-francisco/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/06/despite-logistical-challenges-clusterfest-brings-gut-busting-laughs-to-san-francisco/#respond Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:58:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1142058 Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, a three-day comedy and music festival, returned to San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza for the second year in a row, bringing headlining big names including Trevor Noah, The Lonely Island, Tiffany Haddish, John Mulaney, Amy Schumer and Jon Stewart. The popular event also featured talkbacks with comedians and entertainment artists, musical acts […]

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Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, a three-day comedy and music festival, returned to San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza for the second year in a row, bringing headlining big names including Trevor Noah, The Lonely Island, Tiffany Haddish, John Mulaney, Amy Schumer and Jon Stewart. The popular event also featured talkbacks with comedians and entertainment artists, musical acts and screenings, spanning the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and an outdoor stage to smaller comedy clubs in the area.

Logistical issues dominated day one of the festival according to disgruntled ticketholders on social media, who lined up for hours to get through security and ended up missing opening acts. Another logistical challenge involved shows in smaller rooms of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, such as the Room 415 Comedy Club and the Larkin Comedy Club. The smaller shows required a tricky dual ticket process in which attendees had to line up in a queue an hour before the show to get a paper ticket, and then queue again to get into the room. Amy Schumer’s set ended half an hour earlier than expected to the dismay of the audience and sex workers protested outside of the auditorium.

One of the highlights of the festival was discovering lesser-known acts, such as the Asian Pacific Islander headlining set, The Joy F*ck Club. Held in the intimate environment of Room 415, it was a strong contrast to the giant Coachella-esque outdoor stage in the plaza. Set up with folding chairs like a stand-up club, the event, hosted by Joel Kim Booster, featured a series of short routines by top Asian comedians. The biggest name, Awkwafina, only came out for a short Q&A with Booster, much to the disappointment of attendees, but the rest of the lineup shone brightly.

Booster started off the night by “pandering” to the Asian American audience — although, as he pointed out, much of the front rows were non-Asian. Especially as SF enters Pride Month, it was exhilarating to see a set dominated by queer Asian American comedians: Booster, Irene Tu, Bowen Yang and Patti Harrison. Each performer brought their own flavor of comedy, with Patti Harrison standing out with her avant-garde, absurdist routine. The set, which started off with her playing a ditzy awkward character, garnered confused giggles but ended with uproarious laughter as her jokes, delivered with an Aubrey Plaza deadpan, became increasingly ludicrous.

Daily Show correspondent Ronnie Chiang was also unafraid to get political, touching on the United incident in which a Chinese American doctor was assaulted. His pantomiming of the incident brought a needed dose of reality and consciousness to the situations that Asian Americans can face, despite eliciting uncomfortable chuckles from some audience members.

Other not to be missed highlights: The Presidential Library of Tweets from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah featured interactive exhibits such as a Trump Nickname Generator, an opportunity to choose the perfect Tweet for a simulated international crisis (whilst sitting on a golden toilet), and a golden memorial for deleted Tweets.

There were also other meticulously recreated sets of popular comedies — Paddy’s Pub from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” offered $12 pints, the Bluth frozen banana stand sold hand-dipped chocolate bananas next to the stair car from “Arrested Development,” and visitors could play ring toss and darts at the South Park themed fairground. Many attendees sported apparel from their favorite pop culture shows or comedians.

The larger comedy acts, like Amy Schumer and Friends, drew a massive crowd, but similar to a festival like Coachella, the mosh pit of people made it nearly impossible to get close enough to see anything besides the massive screens. Nikki Glaser, Bridget Everett, Rachel Feinstein, Mia Jackson and Schumer drew big laughs with routines on Trump, dating and sex.

Two other sets looked promising: Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz’s two-person longform improv show packed the auditorium, as did Michael Che’s headlining set with Joe Mande, Mark Normand, Dulce Sloan and Tim Dillon. In addition, Jon Stewart’s return to stand-up after a 15 year hiatus was accompanied by a talkback with San Francisco Chronicle pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub. Stewart talked about the Golden State Warriors and not being able to take down Trump with comedy in an hour-long discussion, drawing large amounts of applause from the always-eager audience.

After their improv show, Middleditch and Schwartz’s second performance at Clusterfest — a live reading of John Hughes’ classic comedy “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” — also featured SNL alum Sasheer Zamata and “Arrested Development” star David Cross. After the success of last year’s live reading of “Wayne’s World” with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, Clusterfest brought another reading to the festival’s main stage featuring a range of today’s largest TV comedians.

The performance, held in the relatively packed Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, delighted audiences with a live band and a large screen behind the performers that displayed images to set the scene. Because the live reading was essentially a staged reading of the film — stage directions and other information read by the lively Jessica McKenna — it was up to the performers to bring the characters to life just from sitting in their chairs and interacting with each other in the limited capacity they were able to.

Middleditch, the star of HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” and Ben Schwartz, beloved comedic actor famously known for playing the obnoxious Jean-Ralphio on “Parks and Recreation,” riffed off of each other in an everyman-meets-eccentric-man fashion, mimicking their traditional typecasting but also reflecting the Hughes film’s general odd couple vibe. They even spooned standing up as described in the script to the delight of the audience, both exaggerating their motions and comedic acting whenever the audience reacted. Zamata and Cross also played fun smaller parts, using their voice acting skills to imbue the verbal script with life.

San Francisco, a center for stand-up and comedy and all forms, lends itself to a conducive environment from a comedy festival of this size. The City also hosts SF Sketchfest, a longer wintertime comedy festival featuring a variety of A-list performers, but where else can someone jam out to some Britney Spears next to musician Reggie Watts and run into comedian Jaboukie Young-White outside of the Joy F*ck Club set? If you kept your eye out, you may have been able to spot some lesser known — yet just as brilliant — comedians wandering the festival grounds — and the Daily even ran into Garrick Bernard (a Los Angeles-based comedian and writer, but the poor guy was just grabbing a burrito!). To be up close and personal with comedy’s biggest stars is a unique experience — an opportunity that continues to set Clusterfest apart.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu and Olivia Popp at oliviapopp ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The crew of Cru, part 2 https://stanforddaily.com/2018/05/10/the-crew-of-cru-part-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/05/10/the-crew-of-cru-part-2/#respond Thu, 10 May 2018 10:00:57 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1140775 Day of Cru dinner Jerry, 11 a.m. The kitchen is bustling and the work has invaded the dining area. I find Andrew, still slicing vegetables (it’s cucumbers this time). In front of him, “Big Boy,” a contraption of two sous vide machines in tandem, slow cooks pork. Andrew said he went grocery shopping from 9 […]

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Day of Cru dinner

Jerry, 11 a.m.

The kitchen is bustling and the work has invaded the dining area.

I find Andrew, still slicing vegetables (it’s cucumbers this time). In front of him, “Big Boy,” a contraption of two sous vide machines in tandem, slow cooks pork. Andrew said he went grocery shopping from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. yesterday, and then started prepping work with Nate until midnight last night. Then he woke up at 6 a.m. to start cooking.

Nate stayed even later than Andrew last night to finish up the cookies, which are baked up and stacked in mounds on trays in a rolling shelf. He’s currently inventing some sort of dry rub or spice mix that smells of cumin and ground black sesame. I ask him what it is and he says, “I don’t know yet.”

Jeffrey is making a kombu stock for the tteokbokki, a spicy Korean rice cake stew. I help him remove the innards of some dried anchovies and Nate excitedly yells, “Sam’s helping prep!”

Vanna and Andrew Beckman ’17 (the group calls him “Beckman” to differentiate) are shaping fluffy beige mounds of dough into steam buns, which Jeffrey pops into giant steamers. The wooden tables of Jerry’s dining room are laden with trays and trays of small buns.

Cedric offers me a slice of delightfully gooey and molasses-y Momofuku Milk Bar “crack pie” that he made last weekend and brought to share. They haven’t decided yet whether to add it to the dessert course with the cookies.

Miller is exiled to Jerry’s back patio where he’s spent the last 45 minutes waiting for the oil to heat up enough to deep fry cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Finally, Benedict and Colin are carefully picking through sprigs of cilantro.

Everyone has a job and is moving efficiently, yet there’s no sense of stress. Still, the day is young and dinner service is still seven hours away.

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Jerry, 5:30 p.m.

I get to Jerry half an hour before the first service begins. The team is meeting at a bench outside, Nate speaking urgently, while the sounds of a KA day-ger next door percolate into the conversation. Given the limitations of two ovens, six burners and a flat top, they are formulating a plan of action—what needs to be toasted, reheated, seared and in what order. With a plan in mind, everyone breaks at once into action.

For the next hour, the kitchen is a blur. Thankfully, the guests trickle in slowly and almost nobody is punctual.

Ingenuity and improvisation come into play in the last stretch — the bain-marie in the kitchen are repurposed into giant steamers to reheat the buns.  The deep fryer outside was given up as a lost cause, and a giant vat of oil takes up four burners instead. The fried Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are stuck in a dehydrator to crisp—they come out salty and crisp like more flavorful versions of potato chips. Tofu is fried as a vegetarian option for banh mi before chicken wings go in the oil. In the dining room, Raleigh Browne ’19 and Colin set tables with centerpieces of wildflowers in beer bottles.

In the kitchen, Jeffrey gets a call as he’s tossing wings in a spicy Szechuan chili sauce. “No dude, I’m at Cru. Have fun at Blackfest.”

Vanna laughs and jokes: “The sacrifices we make.”

As the clock hits five minutes to six, Nate gives his version of a motivational speech: “We’re just making whatever happens. These are our friends and we’re going to try to get food out on time, but the priority is just getting the first wave out. And the 8 o’clock [seating] is whatever the fuck happens.”

The first wave of food consists of an arugula salad, tossed with a maple-yogurt dressing and topped with kimchi-marinated Fuji apple slices. The tteokbokki and the wings go out as well in massive silver platters. Finally, twelve loaves of French baguettes turn into crunchy banh mi with a savory chicken and squid ink pate, house-made pickled vegetables and perfectly seasoned chicken, pork or tofu.

As Vanna and Andrew speed through banh mi assembly, she quips, “I feel like I’m at Subway.”

Beckman laughs and says, “I don’t think they serve pate at Subway.”

The next course is a three-part pork extravaganza. The fluffy handmade bao get transformed into pork belly buns. The pickled cucumbers and scallions cut through the richness of the crispy and tender pork belly, which contrasts amazingly with the softness of the buns and the sweetness of hoisin sauce. Nate declares it pretty close to the real thing at Momofuku.

Three roasted pork shoulders are loaded onto a platter with in-house kimchi, pickled onions, cucumbers and a whole head of butter lettuce for a Cru take on bo ssam. In the dining room, Beckman demonstrates how to shred the pork with forks to build a perfectly succulent lettuce wrap.

Finally, the cumin spice that Nate was toying with earlier in the day manifested as the dry rub on fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Diners are raving about the food. Beckman tells the kitchen how they’ve hit the mark on authenticity: “One Korean girl was super impressed and thought I came up with the recipes, and I was like no, no it’s not me.” While in line for seconds, I hear another diner bemoan, “I can’t believe my whole life I’ve been eating kimchi that was not this kimchi.”

Finally, the team rolls out the trays of cookies and bite size crack pie to everyone’s delight. Nate snuck me a piece of the best chocolate chip cookie dough I’ve ever had earlier in the evening, but I try a dense chocolate cookie that’s delightfully salty-sweet and fudgy.

As the momentum of the meal picks up, the team relaxes a bit, weaving in and out of the kitchen to eat with and entertain friends. Nate checks in with everyone throughout the evening, asking, “How are you holding up?” The camaraderie, great playlist and tasty food create the most enjoyable ambience—high-end food without the stuffiness.

Content and full, diners disappear into the literal sunset, while Andrew starts washing the mound of cookware and dishes. The next service starts in half an hour and the team has to do it all over again. They’ll be there cleaning until 11 p.m. or 12 a.m., and finally the marathon weekend will be over for good.

But for a brief shining moment, a group of food lovers came together to put on one of the best meals to be had on Stanford’s campus, one that myself and other diners won’t soon forget.

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Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The crew of Cru: part 1 https://stanforddaily.com/2018/05/08/the-crew-of-cru-part-1/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/05/08/the-crew-of-cru-part-1/#respond Wed, 09 May 2018 02:02:47 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1140696 Three days before Cru dinner Nitery 206, 7:30 p.m. Anthony Nguyen ’17 MS ’18 is marking up a whiteboard in red — there’s an ambitious list of about 7 dishes splashed up already, from banh mi to buns to spiced pork ribs, a menu heavily inspired by David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook. Roving around the table, […]

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Three days before Cru dinner

Nitery 206, 7:30 p.m.

Anthony Nguyen ’17 MS ’18 is marking up a whiteboard in red — there’s an ambitious list of about 7 dishes splashed up already, from banh mi to buns to spiced pork ribs, a menu heavily inspired by David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook.

Roving around the table, the team behind Cru dinner takes turns “claiming” dishes. Cedric Yue ’17 MS ‘18 is the point person for buns, Jeffrey Yu ’18 on wings.

It seems like Anthony is the leader of this group, but the question of equitable dishes for vegetarians pops up and all eyes are on Nate Gruver ’18.

His casual demeanor, accentuated by his habit of rocking onto the back legs of his chair, belies the experience Nate has in the culinary arts. Nonchalantly, he suggests a giant deep-fried or roasted cauliflower, reminiscent of the signature dish at ABCV in New York.

Cru dinner is the brainchild of Nate, whose first iteration of the exclusive, prix fixe meal was covered by the Daily back in 2016. Since then, Gruver estimates that he’s served about 15 dinners total, holding as many as four per quarter.

Not only has the frequency of the dinners increased, but the Cru team has also scaled up in other dimensions. Their first dinner only served 45 people in two seatings. Their largest dinner to date was sponsored by the Class of 2019 last spring, where Cru prepared a special dinner for 100 then-sophomores. Cru member Benedict Bolton ’19 remarks that it was one of his favorites, because the sponsorship of the Class of 2019 reduced the dinner price from $15-25 to an accessible $5, letting a more diverse crowd into the magic.

And it is magic indeed. This is not your mom’s dinner party.

I had the privilege of going to their fall 2017 dinner, which featured 7 courses including homemade Parmesan popovers, sous vide duck, Vietnamese inspired salmon tartare and a yuzu sorbet. At their most expansive, Cru served a 14 course dinner in 2016.

Of course, such an endeavor would not be possible without a dedicated team. Nate has the most experience in professional kitchens, having worked in restaurants since age 15 and more recently, a stint in Benu, a San Francisco restaurant with three Michelin stars. Benedict, a serious bespectacled junior, works the “front of the house,” handling seatings, reservations and other logistics. Andrew seems like the Cru equivalent of a chef de cuisine, creating the menu with Nate’s input and organizing a massive Costco/99Ranch grocery trip. Others, like Jeffrey Yu ‘18, Vanna Tran ‘18, Colin Clemmons ’18, Miller Perrin ‘18 and Cedric, help with cooking.

Nate himself recruited most of the team. “I taught him in French Cooking,” he says, pointing at Andrew. “I taught him (Colin) in Marcus Covert’s class on the science of cooking and I kind of taught him (Benedict) in German baking.”

However, I’m here because I’ve heard that this is the final Cru dinner and I want to know why. Clearly Stanford students love it — every Cru dinner has sold out. And juniors like Benedict seem committed to helping out.

“It’s hard to give 150 percent to something,” says Nate, “and not a lot of freshmen in college are good at cooking.” Moreover, most of the Cru team are graduating this spring.

“It’s hard,” echoes Colin. “It’s something I look forward to and dread, simultaneously.”

“You’re working 4:30 to midnight on a Saturday, where you’re on your feet doing something nonstop,” says Benedict.

“We serve the dishes and we wash them all too, because of the two seatings,” adds Andrew.

“And we’ve got to leave the kitchen cleaner than we found it,” pipes in Benedict again. (“Is that why the chef at French House hates you?” Colin asks Nate, who shrugs.)

The overlapping conversation reflects the general vibe of the team. There’s no Gordon Ramsey here. Nate is encouraging to the team members who seem daunted by the herculean task at hand and it’s clear that he takes his role very, very seriously.

Yet there’s also a sense of readiness to retire. Nate and Andrew refer several times to feeling “burnt out.” In the past, the team workshopped original dishes, some inspired by experiences at high-end restaurants in the area. Teams would be assigned to various sections of the menu, and would test recipes for Nate to taste and approve. This final dinner is more casual, and Nate admits to “pushing Andrew to take on more of a leadership position.” Nate’s even relegated himself just to desserts, “because they’re easier,” but I get the sense that he’ll have his hands full anyway.

“Maybe if Cru had a different inception, if we had more casual food like this dinner, it could work,” Nate muses, “because this is something more cooks at Stanford are capable of.”

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Two days before Cru dinner

Jerry, 10 p.m.

It’s a two-man team of Andrew and Nate working in the Jerry kitchen. Andrew is meticulously slicing carrots and radishes to be pickled for the banh mi.

On the other end of the kitchen, Nate stands by the industrial mixer, which is churning so vigorously that it has to be covered with a dish towel to prevent globs of cookie dough from splashing out. (Nate’s secret to perfect cookies, soft in the middle and crisp on the outside? Creaming the butter and sugar for a long time to incorporate as much air as possible into the dough.)

There aren’t any recipes to be seen anywhere — just a few lines of proportions that Nate’s scrawled with dry-erase marker onto the counter.

He’s making three kinds of cookies — chocolate chip, peanut butter and a brownie sort inspired by Momofuku Milk Bar.

This last dinner is extra ambitious — they sold 150 tickets, 75 per seating. Nate asks me to guess how many pounds of butter they bought. I estimate 30, which is right on the nose.

At the very least, Andrew says, this dinner will be served family style, so the team doesn’t have to stress over making the hundreds of intricate platings as they have in the past.

As Nate splits the creamed mixture into separate tubs (there’s too much to fit in the mixer), I ask if he cooks often, since he lives in a co-op. “I actually don’t cook dinners that much,” he replies. “I like cooking on my own terms.”

It’s a similar reason for his career goals in tech, not cooking. “What if you disrupted the restaurant industry?” I ask, half-jokingly. For half a beat, he seems to consider it.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Wong: Being ‘unspecial’ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/04/26/wong-being-unspecial/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/04/26/wong-being-unspecial/#respond Thu, 26 Apr 2018 09:30:49 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1140026 Stanford has a weird relationship with the concept of being “special.”

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Stanford has a weird relationship with the concept of being “special.”

From the moment you get your acceptance in the mail to the spectacle of Admit Weekend, Stanford pulls out all the stops to make you feel like you are one-in-a-million. The admissions office sends you a nice handwritten letter with a couple personalized comments about what they liked in your application. There’s the big glossy packet and the cool welcome video and on campus, tons of events just for ProFros. Just for you.

And I get it, it’s part of the courting process, part of the way universities gain your tuition dollars and, when you become a rich Spiegel-esque alum, your donations. If Harvard has waffle makers with their crest on it, then by golly, we need to have one at every breakfast too.

Yet, at the same time, coming to Stanford tends to disintegrate the illusion of “specialness” as well.

Those nice upperclassmen who called you to welcome you to Stanford? They’re just fulfilling their obligations to The Stanford Fund. Think you’ll build lifelong relationships with all of your professors? The bar’s a lot higher when you’re just one face in a 300-person auditorium.

Freshman year fall, I remember sitting in my room with a big circle of new friends, talking about our lives before Stanford. We went around the circle and found out that all 10 of us were valedictorians of our high school.

You might have a similar experience this weekend. Maybe you were the “bio” kid or the “writing” kid or the “track” kid back home. We probably all had something special that set us and our applications apart from the crowd. But at Stanford or wherever you end up going for college, you’ll find quickly that there will always be another person who has done more research, published more poetry or run the faster mile.

Sometimes having to reframe what made you special can be earth-shattering. It’s kind of like when I talk to some of the uber-talented athletes on campus: Do you remember a time when you weren’t playing this sport? Almost always, the answer is no. Their sport is their life, which isn’t wrong, but it explains why being sidelined by injuries can be so traumatic. It’s not just “not being able to run for a couple months” it’s losing a part of their identity.

At the same time, there’s something kind of nice about debunking that rigid idea of ourselves. Recently, at a senior TAPS capstone, the performer quipped, “Isn’t it funny that Stanford always tries to reassure you, ‘We didn’t make a mistake, you belong here?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I thought I belonged until you said that!’” By confirming our specialness, Stanford creates the possibility that our specialness needed to be validated.

But when we start to accept that maybe we aren’t special at all, and maybe no one ever is, when we value our individuality over a system that values some individuals over others, we each create a sense of identity that is unwaveringly, unflaggingly our own. Something that time or age or even Stanford can’t change or determine.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

This piece is part of the Vol. 253 Editorial Board’s Admit Weekend series. Read the rest of the editorials here.

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Q&A: Hasan Minhaj talks activist art, comedy and getting the audience to listen https://stanforddaily.com/2018/04/23/qa-hasan-minhaj-talks-activist-art-comedy-and-getting-the-audience-to-listen/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/04/23/qa-hasan-minhaj-talks-activist-art-comedy-and-getting-the-audience-to-listen/#respond Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:00:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1139837 The Daily got to talk with comedian Minhaj, who will soon depart “The Daily Show” to helm his own weekly Netflix talk show.

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Best known for his role as a Senior Correspondent on “The Daily Show,” comedian and performer Hasan Minhaj spoke on Friday at Dinkelspiel Auditorium. Amongst many endeavors, including hosting the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, his critically acclaimed comedy special “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King” and guest starring roles on television, Minhaj will soon depart “The Daily Show” to helm his own weekly Netflix talk show, including some content he previewed at his appearance on Friday. The Stanford Daily had the opportunity to talk with Minhaj about the nature of activist art, connecting to everyone through comedy and hoping that audiences will listen.

The Stanford Daily (TSD): What would you consider activist art in arts and entertainment? Do you consider art, especially in the realm of identity and community-specific issues, as activist work?

Hasan Minhaj (HM): I think it depends on the artist’s intent. If their intent is to raise awareness on certain issues, whether that’s knowingly or unknowingly, it would be activist art.

TSD: Do you consider your work and art to be activist?

HM: Yeah, so it’s interesting because my intent usually comes from a place of curiosity, as you saw during the show. There is a central question that I’m trying to answer. You saw the preview of the big refugees headline, like “Should we let them in?” I’m coming at it from a place of curiosity, and some people are like “Oh! That’s a form of activism!” especially for this headline in particular. I think it walks this fine line. It’s sometimes not up to me to decide; it’s up to the audience to decide.

TSD: Asian American representation in media has reached a certain turning point today, and as three Asian American women in journalism, we’re proud to see people like us excelling and voicing themselves in the industry. “Homecoming King” was so special to us because of its specificity and focused on your experience. At the same time, do you ever feel like your identity constrains you to certain topics or that the public expects certain things from you?

HM: There is an incredible universality to specificity, but I think sometimes there is a slight disadvantage because they see me and go, “Oh, he has this specific agenda. I don’t want to hear this.” To me, one of the biggest things that I take inspiration from, and I think comedy takes a lot of inspiration from, is music. Great songs are able to just communicate to everybody. Music is sort of like the universal language in connecting everybody, and comedy is similar to music in some ways. My goal is to overcome any sort of preexisting notions the audience has of me through jokes and laughter. I can sort of sneak my way into maybe you hearing my side in some way. Now whether I do that effectively or not is a whole other question! (laughs) There are some YouTube comments that are like “Nah! Thumbs down!” Like all right! BallDrake79, you win!

TSD: When you’re doing stand-up, how much does the site of the performance affect how you deliver your work or your interactions with the audience? Who would you consider to be your target audience and what do you want them to take away from your work?

HM: My target audience is anyone who’s willing to listen. (laughs) Yeah! Anyone who’s willing to sit down and pay attention. I just hope that again, the biggest thing that they take away is that they can listen with an open mind. As performers, we’re just pouring our hearts out onstage. These are our thoughts, and these are our feelings, and hopefully you guys give it a shot.

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu, Alli Cruz at allicruz ‘at’ stanford.edu. and Olivia Popp at oliviapopp ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Read the Daily’s first opportunity to hear from Minhaj in a joint conversation with Roy Wood, Jr.

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Horton: Planetary health is worth fighting for https://stanforddaily.com/2018/03/09/horton-planetary-health-is-worth-fighting-for/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/03/09/horton-planetary-health-is-worth-fighting-for/#respond Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:00:51 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1138066 On Thursday evening, Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals, spoke to an audience at Berg Hall as the capstone to a symposium sponsored by Stanford Medicine and the Rambam Health Care Campus. The talk, while open to the public, was mostly attended by attendees of the symposium, a handful of graduate […]

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On Thursday evening, Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals, spoke to an audience at Berg Hall as the capstone to a symposium sponsored by Stanford Medicine and the Rambam Health Care Campus. The talk, while open to the public, was mostly attended by attendees of the symposium, a handful of graduate and medical students, and curious fans of The Lancet, like yours truly.

This was Horton’s first visit to Stanford University, and he opened his talk with an explanation of how his invitation to this symposium came about.

In 2014, The Lancet published an “An open letter for the people in Gaza,” which sparked incredible controversy. Horton described how he and his family experienced vitriol from critics who accused him of anti-Semitism online and off-line. Horton then relayed his shock when he received an invitation from Rambam, an Israeli hospital, to visit Israel and take part in a dialogue on the issues discussed in the letter.

“I thought this was fake news, because I could not imagine anybody writing me a letter and extending me a hand of friendship in this way,” said Horton.

Detailing the collaborations that followed between The Lancet and both Israeli and Palestinian scholars and physicians, Horton said, “I hope that if we work with our Palestinian friends, telling their stories of hopes and dreams for nationhood, and if we work with Israeli friends to tell stories of their futures and hopes for their land, we can bring together these great peoples into some kind of dialogue … health through peace, peace through health. The relationship between the two is intimate.”

Horton also touched on his role at The Lancet today, portraying editors as “stewards of a repository of data in our journals … sitting amid a storm of forces that shape our discipline and our profession.”

One of these forces Horton discussed was the “contraction of the science base in the United States and a growth of the science base in China.”

Horton praised “the magnetic desire of the Chinese government to engage scientists and build international networks of science and invest in them in meaningful ways,” while questioning the current American “political climate where anti-science is flourishing.”

Horton’s rumination on society and health seemed to transcend boundaries, highlighting issues such as gender equality, media and nationalism that are prevalent in today’s political and social debates. He gave a shoutout to International Women’s Day, urging the audience to “celebrate the achievements of women in science and health” as well as recognizing the importance of intersectionality in measuring progress for women’s health.

Horton also mentioned the place of media in medical journals and global health: “The truth is that now we are also publishing for the media … and media scrutiny of our work (including social media) is exceptionally important in thinking about the quality or the subject of the work we publish.”

Finally, Horton honed in on the titular theme of the talk, “The rage against the global.” Pointing to Brexit and other isolationist policies, Horton exhorted that transnational threats to health require global cooperation. Starting with the positive status of global health, Horton acknowledged that preventable mortality is decreasing yearly and credited President Trump’s National Security Strategy for encouraging investment in basic health systems in underdeveloped countries. However, Horton was also unafraid to highlight challenges, asking, “How healthy are our democracies?”

With this angle, Horton explained his conception of planetary health, which “aims to bring the disciplines of environmental science, political science, economics and social science all to bear on the subject of health,” and declared that Stanford, as an interdisciplinary hub, is “the perfect place where planetary health could flourish as a discipline.”

In closing, Horton laid out four suggestions for achieving planetary health. First, that “the entire scholarly community [should] mobilize around a renewed commitment to Enlightenment knowledge for social progress.”

Second, Horton encouraged the use of data in a “slightly sharper and more courageous way” by “holding our governments and decision makers accountable for what they do.”

Third, he suggested that journals like The Lancetneed to be advocates for open science — we need to believe in tearing down the barriers that stop people from accessing that information, generating that information and disseminating it. We need to be strong voices; in a sense, the moral conscious of our community, holding us accountable.”

Finally, Horton advocated for the science community to have “the courage to make extraordinary collaborations.”

Pointing to a map of the area around Rambam Hospital and the hypothesized site of the first human migration, Horton described “a vision of our people moving around the world, flourishing and creating health and science for the future of our nations and the future of humanity.”

Feeling inspired, I left the Li Ka Shing Center reflecting on Horton’s parting words in regards to planetary health: “It’s something worth fighting for.”

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Where is the Cantonese at Stanford? https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/07/cantonese-at-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/07/cantonese-at-stanford/#respond Mon, 08 May 2017 05:22:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125951 Despite deep roots at Stanford, there is no Cantonese class at Stanford that fulfills the language requirement.

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June 30, 2014, a couple months before New Student Orientation. I needed to register for my language placement tests, yet when I opened the registration site, the language that I speak as fluently as English wasn’t listed.

I grew up speaking Cantonese as my first language, a language indigenous to southeastern China and Hong Kong, from which my parents immigrated. In fact, part of the reason why I chose to attend Stanford was that I got a brochure from the language department during Admit Weekend, listing Cantonese as one of its offered languages. I was excited to attend a university that would formally recognize my language and my culture as important enough to be taught.

Confused, I emailed the language department to ask whether there had been a mistake. My heart sank when I received their response: “Cantonese conversation courses do not fulfill the language requirement. If you have any experience with Mandarin, please take the Chinese placement test.”

Mandarin and Cantonese are as similar as Portuguese and Spanish. The spoken word is different; the characters vary depending on whether they are written in the simplified form of Mainland China or traditional form of Hong Kong and Taiwan. Linguistically, they are two separate languages. Cantonese is incomprehensible to a Mandarin speaker, and vice versa.

In short, the advertisements were false; my bilingualism did not meet the one-year language requirement. Cantonese classes are important enough to be taught, but not important enough to be recognized for the language requirement.

Why doesn’t Cantonese count for the foreign language requirement?

The real reason definitely doesn’t have to do with the number of Cantonese speakers in the world. There are an estimated 80 million Cantonese speakers across the world. In the U.S. alone, according to the U.S. Census, 458,840 people speak Cantonese and 487,250 speak Mandarin — a very close margin. In fact, there are more people that speak Cantonese in the U.S. than most of the other offerings in the language department that count toward the language requirement, such as Hawaiian (26,205) and even Japanese (449,475). Even Latin — a “dead” language — fulfills the language requirement, but not Cantonese.

It also doesn’t have to do with political legitimacy. Cantonese is an official language of Hong Kong and Macau, but not China. Yet Tibet is not its own country either — and Tibetan is recognized for the foreign language requirement.

Other peer institutions recognize and offer multiple Cantonese language classes beyond the conversational classes at Stanford. BYU, NYU, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto provide one year of introductory Cantonese. Even at the high school level, San Francisco Unified School District, where over 75% of all the Chinese-American children identify as Cantonese speakers, has offered Cantonese bilingual programs for years—and they have a placement test.

Most confusingly of all, Stanford has a mechanism for earning a “Proficiency in Foreign Language Notation” through an Oral Proficiency Interview and Writing Proficiency Test. The tests are scored on the Foreign Service Institute/American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale. And guess what? Those tests are offered in Cantonese.

The very same language testing system the Stanford Language Center uses for proficiency evaluation recognizes Cantonese as a foreign language and provides mechanisms for placement testing. I could shell out $209 and take the exact same test that Stanford uses to assess proficiency in a foreign language — the problem clearly isn’t that placement tests are nonexistent.

In addition, after writing this article, the Stanford Language Center offered to proctor the Stanford Chinese placement test for me, customized for Cantonese. I would encourage students who speak languages without placement tests to contact the Language Center on an individual basis to see if an alternative placement test can be conducted. However, Stanford continues to lack an official Cantonese class that meets the language requirement.

So why is Cantonese excluded?

The Stanford Language Center

To find out more about how the Stanford Language Center decides which languages fulfill the requirement and which do not, I spoke with Elizabeth Bernhardt, director of the SLC and professor in German Studies.

According to Bernhardt, “All foreign languages meet the language requirement, with some caveats. Students must demonstrate proficiency in reading, listening, speaking and writing, which is usually fulfilled with a one-year sequence in the language. There is no prohibition against any language.” The reason Cantonese classes currently do not meet the language requirement, according to Bernhardt, is that the current conversational courses are not offered in a 12-15 unit sequence.

However, Stanford has offered a 12-15 unit Cantonese sequence in the past. According to Professor Sik Lee Dennig, who taught Cantonese at Stanford in 1997 and from 2001 to the current day, conversational Cantonese courses have been offered since 1997. In fall 2006, a one-year 15-unit Cantonese sequence, “First-year Comprehensive Cantonese,” was introduced for the first, and only, time after a group of students petitioned for its creation.

When I asked Bernhardt about why the Cantonese sequence ended after 2007, she cited a lack of student interest. “The problem is that students need to be proactive about their needs and rally interest in their communities,” the same way the original group of students in 2006 was able to raise support for a Cantonese class.

There needs to be “at least 10 students to request a full sequence in a language,” she said, for a class offering to be financially feasible. The funding in 2006-2007 came from the Vice Provost, which was a one-time grant that was not renewed after the cohort of students finished the sequence. Without additional funding, the only way to offer a 15-unit sequence in Cantonese would be to cancel an existing conversational or film class, which Bernhardt fears would reduce Cantonese enrollment even more.

Bernhardt’s concerns about a lack of student interest and finite budget are understandable. However, if the option to request classes or take a placement test in languages not taught at Stanford is inaccessible, how would students know to do so? If other students, like me, emailed the SLC Student Services Officer and received the same terse, “Cantonese does not meet the language requirement,” I wonder how many of them would be able to find out that they could request a language on their own.

Moreover, the current low enrollment in Cantonese could very well stem from the fact that conversational Cantonese does not count toward the language requirement. Stanford students may not have the academic space to take additional units of conversational Cantonese on top of their one-year language course. I imagine that if Cantonese offered a first-year sequence like Mandarin Chinese, more students would enroll.

Not to mention the high barriers to getting a Cantonese language sequence started as a student — Bernhardt’s student interest rationale is incongruous with the enrollment numbers in Special Language Programs, which have always been eligible for the language requirement. According to Explore Courses for the 2016-2017 school year, there was one student enrolled in first-year Bengali, two students enrolled in first-year Ukrainian, and five students in first-year Tagalog. Clearly, there are very few students enrolled in most of the Special Language Programs, yet these courses are still offered for the language requirement.

When I asked Bernhardt to clarify her 10-student criterion for successful petitioning for a language course, she replied, “Ten students who say they are passionately interested in taking a class generally translates into three students when everything is arranged and one or two by the end of the sequence.” Yet for Ukrainian, Tagalog, and other small language classes, there is no activation energy required, no initial ten students. They are offered year after year.

It seems that there is an undue burden placed on students who want Cantonese to be taught and recognized — a burden not placed on any other language. The problem with the status quo is that for Cantonese, and Cantonese only, SLC’s expectation is that students must fight for the class to exist, while most languages are continuously, not contingently, available without any student action.

Stanford’s Cantonese roots

Where is the Cantonese at Stanford?
Early Chinese-American students at Stanford. The Stanford Quad yearbook, 1942.

Stanford’s refusal to recognize Cantonese classes for the language requirement ignores the integral role that Cantonese and Cantonese speakers have played in the university’s very conception.

Leland Stanford amassed his massive fortune (which funded Stanford’s founding) largely through the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, which had recruited and imported thousands of Chinese laborers to work on the railroad. Most of these laborers came from southern China and spoke Cantonese.

Records show that these early Chinese Americans were often given the most dangerous jobs, such as detonating explosives for train tunnel construction. Additionally, they were often discriminated against and underpaid for their work. The Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project has documented the histories of these early Chinese.

Beyond the unnamed Chinese railroad workers who added to Leland Stanford’s wealth, many of these railroad workers transitioned to positions in the early days of Stanford’s founding as butlers, employees, janitors and chefs.

I spoke with Bright Zhou ’16 M.S. ’17, who curated the exhibit, “Chinese American at Stanford: A Reflexive Archaeology,” that remains on display at the Archaeology Center through May 15. Some of the pieces in Zhou’s exhibit come from the excavation of the Arboretum Chinese Quarters, one of the housing sites for Chinese workers right on campus.

“Most of the payroll records of Chinese railroad workers have names that start with Ah, like Ah Ming, which is a linguistic choice found in Cantonese speakers,” said Zhou. “Jane Stanford’s butler and confidant, Ah Wing, also followed this linguistic pattern,” indicating that he too was likely Cantonese-speaking.

Although Leland Stanford himself publicly lobbied against Chinese immigration, the railroad workers and blue-collar workers he employed for his own enterprises speak to the contributions of Chinese (and particularly Cantonese-speaking) people to his legacy.

Cantonese today

Where is the Cantonese at Stanford?
Bright Zhou ’16 M.S. ’17 curated a student exhibit on Chinese Americans at Stanford that remains on display until May 15. (Courtesy of L.A. Cicero)

Stanford’s lack of a Cantonese course that fulfills the language requirement is even more baffling given the impact of Cantonese-speaking Chinese-Americans on the Bay Area. Walk into San Francisco’s Chinatown and chances are somebody is speaking Cantonese. Chinatowns, especially those created before the latter half of the 20th century, were populated by the initial exodus of Chinese immigrants from southern China.

Currently, however, Cantonese is declining in popularity. Many parents in the U.S. teach their children Mandarin exclusively, knowing that many institutions like Stanford do not recognize Cantonese. Chinese schools across America, including bilingual schools and extracurricular classes, have stopped offering Cantonese classes due to declining enrollment. The weekend school I grew up attending, Wisdom Chinese School, announced that they would stop offering Cantonese classes after nearly 20 years because the small enrollment was not enough to justify the cost of hiring teachers. It wasn’t until outraged parents joined forces to both petition the school and fundraise money to hire a teacher that the school finally relented and tentatively continued Cantonese classes.

Yet most experts are optimistic about the future of Cantonese. I spoke with Professor Sik Lee Dennig, the only Cantonese instructor at Stanford, about the role of Cantonese in modern society. “Cantonese is often called a living fossil,” Dennig explained. “As a hybrid of the ancient Chinese language and the indigenous languages in southern China, Cantonese has preserved many of the characteristics of these ancient languages. A notable example is the set of final stop consonants in Cantonese (–p, -t, and –k), which features prominently in rhymes in classical Chinese poetry.” Mandarin has lost these endings.

Dennig is a strong believer in inherent cultural value, and when I asked her about a popular view that Cantonese will be pushed out by Mandarin, she said, “I don’t feel Cantonese is dying.” Dennig pointed to protests in Guangzhou in 2010 to preserve Cantonese TV stations and creative approaches in teaching Shanghainese, another regional language, in after-school programs.

Still, Dennig thinks that the future of Cantonese and other regional languages will depend on a mix of factors, including “the Chinese government’s stance on languages,” which currently allows for regional languages to be spoken at home but requires Mandarin Chinese to be taught and used officially; migration patterns and “grassroots efforts to preserve regional languages.”

Personally, I felt the absence of Cantonese greatest in my freshman year at Stanford. Chinese culture is very diverse, and although I grew up with tons of friends who spoke Cantonese at home and had a similar cultural background to mine, I came to Stanford to find myself incredibly alone. Even in the Hong Kong Students Association, which I tentatively joined, very few students actually spoke Cantonese.

I made my first Cantonese-speaking friend at Stanford in the dining halls — an ironic continuation of the contributions of early Chinese dining hall workers at Stanford.

Karen Wong has been working at Stern Dining Hall since 2015. She says hi to every student who swipes in, and when she helped a boy in front of me in line practice his Mandarin, I said hi to her in Mandarin (one of the few words I know). When she asked me if I was fluent, I admitted that I didn’t know Mandarin at all and that I spoke Cantonese. She was thrilled, telling me that Cantonese was her first language too.

From then on, I always chatted to her about life and school in Cantonese whenever I stopped by the dining halls. Hearing the tones of a language I grew up with soothed some of the homesickness I carried. For Chinese New Year, she gave me a red envelope, a holiday tradition, and I nearly cried because I hadn’t expected anyone to celebrate with me that year.

Unfortunately, Karen has been laid off by Stanford Dining and will end her time at Stanford this spring. It’s a personal blow for me but also devastating for the community of students who look forward to her friendly greeting at every meal. It’s also another reminder of how fragile Cantonese existence is at Stanford.

Stanford’s refusal to allow Cantonese classes to meet the foreign language requirement goes beyond unfair academic policies. It represents a larger problem of diminishing Asian-American classes and majors at Stanford. As Bright Zhou pointed out, “Look at the number of Asian-American classes and how many Asian-American majors there are.” A previous Daily article described the vicious cycle of decreasing enrollment in Asian-American Studies classes due to lack of visibility, resulting in fewer course offerings and even less enrollment. Allowing Cantonese classes to count toward the language requirement would encourage more students to learn Cantonese and greater visibility of the Cantonese-speaking community that has always existed at Stanford.

My language matters. My culture matters. My presence matters. And if you believe that, then Cantonese classes should receive the same legitimacy as all of our languages.

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Coffee Countdown: The best coffee on campus https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/30/coffee-countdown-the-best-coffee-on-campus/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/30/coffee-countdown-the-best-coffee-on-campus/#respond Tue, 31 May 2016 04:24:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1115921 The Grind presents a totally biased, very subjective list of the worst-to-best coffee on campus. Fuel up for that week 10 struggle bus!   Dining hall coffee Yes, it’s supposedly made from Starbucks beans, but often lukewarm and dilute, dining hall coffee rests solidly at the bottom of the list. The nifty coffee vending machine […]

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The Grind presents a totally biased, very subjective list of the worst-to-best coffee on campus. Fuel up for that week 10 struggle bus!

 

  1. Dining hall coffee

Yes, it’s supposedly made from Starbucks beans, but often lukewarm and dilute, dining hall coffee rests solidly at the bottom of the list. The nifty coffee vending machine in Manzanita Dining Hall is a step in the right direction, though.

Manz Dining’s new coffee machine (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)
Manz Dining’s new coffee machine (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)

 

  1. Forbes Cafe

Yep, Forbes Cafe, the cafe in Huang Engineering that replaced Ike’s and has contentious pay-per-weight meals, actually has an espresso machine. It’s cool to see the machine squirt out steamed milk and espresso at the touch of a button, but the coffee is average.

 

  1. Starbucks

This one’s pretty divisive — I’ve found that people usually love Starbucks or hate it. Aside from the sugary specialty drinks, straight-up Starbucks coffee is too acidic for my taste.

 

  1. TAP

The Axe and Palm’s newly expanded coffee menu is good but not amazing. It’s pretty much the same coffee as Starbucks next door at Tresidder, but at least you can use meal plan dollars and they give out stamp cards redeemable for a free drink after 6 coffees.

Iced coffee and a cinnamon swirl at the Alumni Café (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)
Iced coffee and a cinnamon swirl at the Alumni Café (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)
  1. Alumni Cafe

I think the Alumni Cafe still uses Peet’s coffee, after most R&DE locations have switched to Starbucks, so it gets points there. The coffee is satisfying but not dazzling (the cinnamon swirl cookies are fantastic though!).

 

  1. Coupa

Coupa is a Stanford favorite for its convenient locations around campus and chai lattes. However, after trying both the coffee and a cappuccino, I wasn’t blown away. There are definitely more flavor notes (I’m attempting to be a connoisseur, shh) than Starbucks, but it wasn’t incredible.

 

  1. CoHo

Pretty good coffee, but a tad overpriced. Tastier than Coupa, IMO.

 

  1. Beckman Bistro

The Beckman Bistro in the basement of the Beckman Center in the med school campus is a well-kept secret of Stanford graduate students. Half of the store sells rockin’ burritos, and the other half, a surprisingly sophisticated café, offers coffee beans sourced from all over the world, too many kinds to count, organized by geographic source. For any die-hard coffee fiends, Beckman is the place to go. I tried an Ethiopian blend once, but to an uncouth caffeine seeker like me, I couldn’t tell the difference.

 The macchiato at Olive’s (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)

The macchiato at Olive’s (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)
  1. Olive’s

Oh, Olive’s. Conveniently located in the Quad, between my major and minor departments, Olive’s was my main caffeine supplier last quarter. The caramel macchiato is by and far the best drink on the espresso menu, and the coffee is bitter but earthy. I filled out my frequent coffee-drinker stamp card in just a few weeks.

 

 

  1. Stanford Faculty Club

Unfortunately, to try the coffee at this exclusive place means you have to snag the invitation of a professor. I don’t know what it is about this coffee, but it’s smooth and fragrant and thick and absolutely delicious.

 

  1. Peet’s

Hidden on the third floor of the Clark Center in the med school campus, I recently discovered this little gem and fell in love. I tried their Coconut Black Tie off the special menu, which includes coconut milk, their signature cold brew iced coffee and condensed milk. Incredible.

 

Is your favorite coffee vendor missing from this list? Completely disagree with the rankings? Let Samantha Wong know at slwong@stanford.edu.

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Five YouTube videos about Stanford that you need to watch https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/27/five-youtube-videos-about-stanford-that-you-need-to-watch/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/27/five-youtube-videos-about-stanford-that-you-need-to-watch/#respond Sat, 28 May 2016 02:44:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1115758 It’s Week 9 and your body is 70% Coupa, 30% Late Night. The only thing that eases the pain of sleep deprivation is procrastinating by watching stupid YouTube videos. Luckily, we at The Grind have curated the top five YouTube videos about Stanford that you absolutely have to watch. We guarantee that it’ll make you […]

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It’s Week 9 and your body is 70% Coupa, 30% Late Night. The only thing that eases the pain of sleep deprivation is procrastinating by watching stupid YouTube videos. Luckily, we at The Grind have curated the top five YouTube videos about Stanford that you absolutely have to watch. We guarantee that it’ll make you feel better about the three p-sets and four papers you haven’t finished.

  1. “Sh*t Stanford Students Say” by JustCallMeMrRight

I remember watching this video while writing my Stanford application and not understanding half of what was said. Filmed four years ago, many of the jokes are still applicable and outright hilarious. Keep an eye out for a cameo from famous alum Andrew Luck. It’s a true classic.

  1. “First Kiss: Stanford Edition” by Maya Theuer Dulcie Davies

Playing off of the popular “first kiss” video meme in which random strangers are filmed sharing a kiss for the first time, this video was made two years ago by a Stanford student. It’s alternately cute and awkward – and super popular on the Interwebs (691,308 views!). The best part: the 382 comments proclaiming, “I ship them” and “that guy was so hot.”

  1. 19 Hours: Stanford Women’s Swimming “Beyond the Pool” by Stanford Athletics

Four years ago, Stanford Athletics had a popular series going called “19 Hours,” where each sports team got 19 hours to make a short film. Some of the videos are hilarious sketches, some are parodies. This one has the second-most views of all the videos on the Stanford Athletics channel, and for good reason.

  1. “Dear Future Doctor (Stanford School of Medicine Parody on “Dear Future Husband” by Megan Trainor) by Gun Ho Lee

Somehow watching this video ten times makes the pre-med struggle that much more bearable. Also, can we just talk about the production quality on this video?!?!

  1. At Bay: Chapter One – How to Start a Startup by Obscenely Sunny Pictures

This brilliant new web series is like the T.V. show about Stanford you’d always wanted. Plus it’s half an hour long, perfect for that awkward gap in between classes where you don’t have time to start work or take a nap.

 

 

Did we leave out any of your favorite videos? Contact Samantha Wong at slwong@stanford.edu.

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Fresh off the Woke https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/18/fresh-off-the-woke/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/18/fresh-off-the-woke/#respond Wed, 18 May 2016 18:31:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1115321 Last Thursday, the cast and crew of “Fresh Off the Boat” spoke at Stanford about the representation of Asian Americans in entertainment and media. “Fresh Off the Boat” is the first sitcom with an Asian cast on a major network in 20 years. Following an early screening of an upcoming episode of the show (which was hilarious […]

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Last Thursday, the cast and crew of “Fresh Off the Boat” spoke at Stanford about the representation of Asian Americans in entertainment and media. “Fresh Off the Boat” is the first sitcom with an Asian cast on a major network in 20 years.

Following an early screening of an upcoming episode of the show (which was hilarious and probably one of my favorite episodes of the show), actors Constance Wu and Hudson Yang, executive producer Melvin Mar and writer Ali Wong, came on stage for a Q&A, moderated by the executive director of the Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Jeff Chang, and three student representatives.

The Q&A began with a question about representing Asian Americans without making the show solely about Asian American interests. Wong said, “We’re not here to preach. We’re here to make a funny show.” However, Wong added, “The more socially conscious you are, the better the work you make.”

Next, Wu spoke candidly about the inherent obstacles of being an Asian American in the entertainment industry. Noting how most of her interviewers focus on her ethnicity while her white male counterparts get asked about their acting process, she said, “I don’t get asked about my process. That’s a privilege.”

Wu also commented on a popular question that she gets asked frequently: why her character, Jessica Huang, has a Chinese accent. “There is nothing inherently wrong about an accent,” said Wu, and she hoped that she could show that her character Jessica could have an accent and still be “a fully fledged character with an emotional arc.”

The speakers also addressed current issues of yellow face in Hollywood, such as Scarlett Johansson’s casting as a Japanese woman. Wu, who was a vocal leader of the #WhiteWashedOut campaign on Twitter against whitewashing of Asian roles, encouraged students to “vote with [their] dollars and views.”

“I didn’t watch the Oscars. I’m not going to watch ‘Ghost in the Shell,’” she explained.

Mar also encouraged more Asian American students to get into filmmaking and share Asian American stories. “If you’re a writer, write it. If you’re a producer, make it.”

Wong elaborated on her experience in an Asian American theatre group at UCLA. Addressing the students in the room, she said, “You don’t know how lucky you are to produce whatever you want, when you want. Take advantage of the opportunity to grow and build your voice and keep your momentum going.”

The only awkward moment of the evening came when Chang broached the subject of Eddie Huang’s falling out with the show. Wu eloquently defended Huang’s perspective: “Change is difficult, no matter who you are, and I don’t think we should punish or stigmatize. We don’t know what it’s like to have a show based on your life.”

Finally, the speakers discussed their biggest setbacks of working in the entertainment industry.

Mar responded, “Ninety percent of things in Hollywood don’t work out,” and shared how his mother didn’t really understand his job as a producer until she read about “Fresh Off the Boat” in the Taiwanese media.

Wu talked about graduating from drama school tens of thousands of dollars in debt and waitressing and working as a nanny between auditions.

Wong, whose recently debuted Netflix comedy special, “Baby Cobra,” received rave reviews, commented instead on the learning curve of doing stand-up. Learning from her mistakes, she says, was like “failing up.”

Yang, the 12-year-old actor who plays the young Eddie Huang in the show, stole the show with his down-to-earth responses to the panel’s questions. After pointing out that his acting career is just beginning, he joked that his biggest setback was eating too many dumplings on his first day and “passing out” during a table read.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu

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On the front lines of the Syrian refugee crisis https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/11/on-the-front-lines-of-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/11/on-the-front-lines-of-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-2/#respond Wed, 11 May 2016 15:22:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1114880 The last time I talked to Emma Mathers ’18 in person was fall quarter 2015. We were both stressing over our organic chemistry problem set. On the other side of the world, the Syrian refugee crisis had exploded into an international issue — the pictures of wet, desperate Syrians in life jackets cycled through CNN. […]

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The last time I talked to Emma Mathers ’18 in person was fall quarter 2015. We were both stressing over our organic chemistry problem set. On the other side of the world, the Syrian refugee crisis had exploded into an international issue — the pictures of wet, desperate Syrians in life jackets cycled through CNN.

The next time I heard from Emma was in December. She had posted a quick message on her Facebook: She was taking a leave of absence from Stanford. Tired of seeing the news about the Syrian refugee crisis and feeling helpless, she booked a one-way flight to the tiny island of Lesbos, Greece. She wrote on her Facebook, “I’m scared, but the refugees are more scared.”

Emma and her roommate Clara, a British girl she met through a volunteer Facebook page, kept their Facebook/blogs updated periodically. In the beginning, their optimistic posts included pictures of the cute apartment they rented above a flower shop in Molyvos, anecdotes about the refugees they befriended and selfies in front of the harbor with the cerulean Mediterranean in the background. They reminded me of the Stanford stereotype — students caught firmly in their belief that they are capable, nay, destined, to make the world a better place.

Slowly, things changed. Emma and Clara ran out of funds to keep their lease on the flower shop apartment. The sad endings to the anecdotes began to outnumber the happy ones. Clara returned to the U.K. The Facebook updates stalled.

Rescue Boats at Lesbos (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Rescue Boats at Lesbos (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

Clara wrote on her blog, shortly after leaving Lesbos: “I’m sorry, because no matter how many of us try, no matter how much love we do it with, no matter how many sandwiches we make or how many shoes we hand out, the border is still closed and people are still being left to rot on the other side.”

*****

The most recent time I spoke to Emma was over a tenuous Skype connection. She was in London where she was staying at Clara’s flat.

The first question I asked her was “Why?” Why would she drop everything to travel solo to Greece?

“It wasn’t something that I had really planned out. I’ve always cared about things, but this was the first time I had really taken action. I was absolutely terrified,” she laughed. “I didn’t think I was strong enough.”

In Lesbos, Emma worked with a Greek NGO called Starfish. Her job was receiving the refugees on the beach, the ones who made it from Turkey to Lesbos on the rihlat al moot (“route of death”) after shelling out $1,000 for a ticket on a rubber dinghy.

“It was actually a very time-sensitive, high-pressure job. Especially when we got there in January, we had a lot of cases of hypothermia.” Emma choked up telling me about watching the Coast Guard pulling out a 6-month-old baby from the freezing water. The baby later died in the hospital. “There was nothing they could do,” she said, voice breaking.

Donated Shoes for Refugees (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Donated Shoes for Refugees (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

Emma also worked with Starfish at Moria, the main UNHCR registration center on Lesbos.  “All the refugees had to come through it so they could get their registration documents,” she explained. When the EU borders were still open, the documented refugees could then take the ferry to Athens and then move on into Europe.

“Usually it was a quick transit time, only three or four nights, but I helped to run the accommodation allocation system. So we distributed tents, plastic huts and beds as well as food, blankets, dry clothing and shoes.”

Next, on March 16, Emma started work in Idomeni, a small village on the Greek-Macedonian border where 11,000 refugees were stranded after Macedonia closed its borders. There, she primarily worked with Lighthouse, a Swedish NGO. She also assisted Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children with food and clothing distribution. The goal of Idomeni, says Emma, was to make it a much more “sustainable, long-term living arrangement.”

“I helped to build a school, a little wooden hut, and we found two refugees who were actually teachers back in Syria. We had math and Arabic classes every morning, and we got donations for supplies.” Emma beams through the fuzzy image on my computer. “All the kids had their own little notebooks and pencils, and they were so excited to come to school.”

A Pile of Abandoned Life Jackers (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
A Pile of Abandoned Life Jackets (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

Emma tells me that she spent much of her time playing with the children in Idomeni — “bubble and jump ropes and hula hoops.” Of the 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees, half are children. Many children are traveling alone and are extremely vulnerable; Europol estimates that 10,000 have gone missing, preyed on by organized trafficking groups.

“Idomeni was 50 percent children,” she emphasized, “so there were a lot of really bored kids who needed entertainment. You don’t think of playing with kids as being valuable, but honestly … it was pretty meaningful for them, I think.”

“These are little kids who had already been through so much, and now they’re waiting at the border for months and months,” she said. “There’s absolutely no mental health support at all. They have it for volunteers, but they don’t have it for refugees.”

Another big project was setting up a “clean and safe” mother-baby space in the sea of tents at Idomeni, “for the mothers to breastfeed and wash their babies.” She tells me about the baby changing area they made, and how they stocked it with pillows and blankets, so that it was “really cute and cozy.”

The Tent Allocation Board at Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
The Tent Allocation Board at Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

Emma positively lights up when she talks about the people she has met in the refugee camps—her “favorite thing to talk about.” One of her “best friends” is Michael.*

“He’s 16, he’s from Damascus, and he likes to play League of Legends and he used to be on [his school’s] swim team,” Emma recalled. They met in Idomeni. Michael and his family had fled to Turkey after their house was bombed two years ago, and eventually made it to Idomeni. “When you’re hanging out with him, it’s easy to forget that you’re in a refugee camp because he acts like a normal 16-year-old kid. He reminded me a lot of my little brother, and he started calling me his sister.”

Emma was there when Michael’s family managed to make it through the “ridiculous” asylum process, which involves trying to beat out 60,000 other refugees, all attempting to Skype into the UNHCR asylum office during the allotted hour a day. Each asylum appointment takes half an hour, so at most, only two families are granted asylum per day.

On her last day in Idomeni, Michael’s family, huddled around a single smartphone, scored a coveted asylum appointment. They’re now waiting to hear back about which EU country they will be relocated to. “It’s fantastic,” she gushes. “It’s one of the very few success stories and I’m so happy it happened to his family. I cried so much.”

Emma’s stories are infinite. There’s the teenage boy, alone in a refugee camp, whose father was killed in Aleppo months before, and who attempted self-immolation after discovering his mother had been killed too.

Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

There’s the 18-year-old Afghani girl Emma had met at Moria immediately after she had been rescued from the sea. She and Emma reunited at Idomeni weeks later, where the Macedonian police had returned her after her family tried to cross the border.

There are the teenage brothers on the run from Afghanistan, who gave Emma and Clara the rings off their fingers as a thank you for two water bottles.

Finally, there’s the young family of seven that Emma had helped at Moria to get ferry tickets to Athens. At Idomeni, the four-year-old daughter remembered her and shouted her name: “It was bittersweet, because they never made it past [the Macedonian border before it closed], and they’re still sitting there at that border.”

*****

Given a fracturing EU recovering from terrorist attacks, a debt-ridden Greece ill-equipped to handle thousands of refugees, and thousands of refugees who have drowned, the EU chose to make a controversial “one for one” deal with Turkey. This topic was the only time Emma got truly angry in our interview.

Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Moria (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

“All refugees arriving in Greece after March 20th will be detained in Moria and deported back to Turkey because Turkey has been deemed a safe third world country by the EU,” explained Emma. “In exchange for each refugee deported from the Greek islands, there will be one refugee taken from Turkey and resettled in a EU country by legal means.”

To me, the deal sounded great. It dissuades refugees from making the risky and dangerous sea journey. Emma countered, “It’s actually terrible, because there are so many instances of police brutality.”

“I’ve seen scars on kids faces from the Turkish police just beating them. The Turkish people are not very accepting of the refugee population. The working conditions for refugees are horrid—there’s not enough money to live. The kids can’t get into the Turkish school system because it’s not in Arabic and there are no catch-up programs for them to learn Turkish.” Scarily, Emma told me of reports that Turkey has begun to deport refugees back to Syria where they are likely to be killed.

Idomeni. There were many cases of police brutality at the camps. Idomeni. (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Idomeni. There were many cases of police brutality at the camps. Idomeni. (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

The EU-Turkey deal gives refugees a second option to apply for asylum in Greece instead of being deported but the problem is that “they don’t have enough asylum officers working to process the applications, so they’re not giving people the opportunity to apply for asylum.” Many people sent back are not even told of their rights to apply for asylum.

“It makes you feel really powerless,” Emma said, “because everything we did inside of Moria to make it a more humane place to be is completely destroyed. All NGOs have been kicked out. It’s at double capacity, so there are kids, old people, sick people sleeping outside.”

Moria, the UNHCR headquarters where Emma had volunteered, was a former prison which was convertedinto a refugee camp. Now it is a detention center, run by the military and full of 4,000 refugees waiting to be shipped back to Turkey, refugees who were stranded when EU borders closed. The Nation compared it to Guantánamo.

*****

Recently, the Telegraph published a stark headline: “The migrant crisis will never end. It is part of the modern world.”

And yes, we have yet to find long-term sustainable solutions to control the migration that will always result from conflict. But it is important to remember these people and these true crises that happen outside of our Stanford/American bubble, despite the fact that it may not be the attention-grabbing breaking news.

The media cared about the refugees until it didn’t. People cared about the refugees until they didn’t. Google Trends shows us that Google searches for “Syrian refugee crisis” have dropped 89 percent from their highest point in 2015. Like the vicious cycle of awareness campaigns on campus, the Syrian refugee crisis illustrates how our society tends to move on to the next big disaster without solving the crises we already have, a “globalization of indifference.”

Some of the Nicest Washed up Refugee Boats (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
Some of the Nicest Washed up Refugee Boats (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

Emma’s story reminds us that while the American media and people turn their attention to the next big thing, the refugees have no choice. They do not get to escape their situation.

They can only hope for a better life an ocean away, across barbed wire fences, on the other side of a lucky Skype call.

 

*****

Emma traveled to London about a month ago, after her 3-month Schengen Zone pass expired. She’ll have to wait another three months if she wants to return to Greece.

She is traveling to Bekaa Valley of Lebanon next, where “most of the refugees are waiting to go back to Syria after the war ends.” Clara and another volunteer friend, Paul, are joining Emma on their self-funded trip. I marveled at her nonchalant attitude when she said that she’ll go “wherever help is most needed,” no questions asked.

I couldn’t help but wonder: how do you deal with all of this — the trauma, the despair, the pervasive helplessness? For a moment, Emma looks vulnerable, like the 19-year-old girl I know. “You work double shifts and night shifts and you just can’t work if you’re trying to take this (the refugee crisis) all in at the same time,” Emma explained.

“Honestly, I think it will hit me more when I go home. I’ve been able to make some close connections and stay in touch with some of the refugees I’ve met. Obviously I can’t experience what they have, but I’ve taken on some of their pain, and I’m so worried about all of them.”

(Inside Moria. (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)
(Inside Moria. (Emma Mathers/The Stanford Daily)

But you’re a Stanford student, I thought. You’ve done your quarter of service. You could come back to a cushy existence in a world of palm trees and all-you-can-eat dining halls. “Why do you stay?”

“Because I’ve gotten way too attached,” she answered. “It’s personal for me now — I have so, so many refugee friends that I care about. I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive myself if I came home since there’s so much work to be done and the situation isn’t improving in the foreseeable future. I feel like I owe it to all the amazing people I met to keep going because they keep going — I mean obviously they don’t have a choice, but these people are just the strongest and most resilient people.”

“What’s so amazing is how generous they are, even after all the horrible things they encounter. They’re still so loving. They’ll ask you to sit down with them for tea. They wait in line for an hour to get their food [but] they’ll offer you all the food that they have.”

When I ask Emma when she will come back to the Farm (“Probably all my friends hate me because I’ve been awful at responding to messages,” she interjects), she says only, “Maybe in the fall.” She pauses. “More than anything, I just want to come home and have [the crisis] be over. I don’t want to feel like I need to be here anymore.”

*Name changed for privacy. (Many of the refugees have family back in Syria who could face retribution.)

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu

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What to Expect When You’re Deciding, Pt. 2: Debunking the Myths https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/27/what-to-expect-when-youre-deciding-pt-2-debunking-the-myths/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/27/what-to-expect-when-youre-deciding-pt-2-debunking-the-myths/#respond Wed, 27 Apr 2016 22:43:04 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1114278 This is the second of a two part series for prospective students on how to make one of the biggest choices of their lives thus far: where to go for college.   To the 4.69%, Congratulations. You made it. You’re part of the most selective class Stanford (or any university in the world, really) has […]

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This is the second of a two part series for prospective students on how to make one of the biggest choices of their lives thus far: where to go for college.

 

To the 4.69%,

Congratulations. You made it. You’re part of the most selective class Stanford (or any university in the world, really) has ever seen.

Now, it’s the end of April, this song is on repeat, and you need to make a decision.

Some of you are probably thinking right now, Are you kidding me? I’ve been born ready to go to Stanford. I’ve been working toward this my whole life. Why are you even trying to convince me?

Others of you are probably going: Oh my god. What do I do?

If you’re part of the first group, this article probably won’t interest you too much. But if you’re in the second group, and I’m guessing that many of you are at least a little conflicted about where to go for college, this is the piece for you. Although I can’t tell you what decision to make, I can share what I wish I knew as a high school senior: what Stanford’s really like, behind the manicured lawns and repainted benches.

MYTH: Stanford will be a fresh start.

TRUTH: Maybe your high school experience was agonizing, or maybe you just want to recreate yourself in a place where no one knows you yet. However, Stanford (or any other college) might not be what you were expecting in terms of a fresh start. Being a Stanford student is pretty much the same as being a high school student, just with more nap time and kale. You’ll still spend a lot of time stressing over tests and homework, and you probably won’t change overnight from introvert to queen of the Row.

Stanford is not a fresh start. Stanford is a work in progress. Being a Stanford student doesn’t mean that problems in your life get magically solved. But being a Stanford student means that, just like the endless construction on campus, you’ll get infinite opportunities to recreate yourself everyday — by trying out for the Ultimate Frisbee team, joining the Band, or taking that research opportunity with the famous scientist.

 

MYTH: Everyone is nice at Stanford.

TRUTH: Like the “fresh start” myth, believe it or not, the friend drama and mean kids in high school do still exist on a campus nicknamed the Disneyland of colleges. Admissions does a great job of selecting the brightest and most talented people to become students here, but kindness isn’t a factor that they or can select for. All you can do when faced with the haters, as a young poet once said, is shake it off.

 

MYTH: Stanford students are always happy.

TRUTH: You won’t have to look far to burst this myth. Mental health on college campuses is a hot-button topic and Stanford is no stranger to the challenges of revamping mental health. The good news is that we do have some resources, like CAPS and The Bridge, on campus to help students. However, don’t assume that by choosing Stanford, you’re choosing a guaranteed happiness.

 

MYTH: Stanford students don’t struggle.

TRUTH: Choosing to go to Stanford means that you’re choosing a challenge. You will end up in the same class with people who are wayyy smarter than you. Sometimes it will feel like Stanford made a mistake in admitting you, because even though you’ve written this equation a hundred times, you still can’t figure out this physics problem. For a lot of people, Stanford is the first time they fail a class or withdraw — and there’s absolutely no shame in that — but don’t choose Stanford because you want a walk in a tree-lined park. Choose Stanford for the challenge.

 

MYTH: There’s a perfect fit for you.

TRUTH: Every college will have a cool rec center, a welcoming community, people that you click with, good dining halls, bad dining halls, and accomplished professors. There’s no wrong decision — you will find a place for you wherever you go for college and there will be opportunities for you to be happy there.

Moreover, there are so many people who decide that college isn’t right for them right now and take a few gap years. There are people who transfer schools and people who take time off after a year or two on the Farm.

To me, the idea of a “perfect fit” school is as overwhelming as love at first sight. Your happiness isn’t tied to a school or a person; it’s tied to your ability to control your circumstances, take advantage of the opportunities around you, and make yourself happy — at Stanford, or wherever you choose.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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What to Expect When You’re Deciding, Pt. 1: Admit Weekend https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/27/what-to-expect-when-youre-deciding-pt-1-admit-weekend/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/27/what-to-expect-when-youre-deciding-pt-1-admit-weekend/#respond Wed, 27 Apr 2016 22:42:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1114231 This is the first of a two-part series for prospective students (holla at the Class of 2020) on how to make one of the biggest choices of their lives thus far: where to go for college.   This year, Stanford’s Admit Weekend is April 28-30. The campus is preparing for the onslaught of thousands of […]

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This is the first of a two-part series for prospective students (holla at the Class of 2020) on how to make one of the biggest choices of their lives thus far: where to go for college.

 

This year, Stanford’s Admit Weekend is April 28-30. The campus is preparing for the onslaught of thousands of high-achieving high school seniors by ignoring the California drought and partying in advance of the dry weekend. The clubs are holding emergency meetings to come up with crème brûlée samples or solar car demonstrations in an eager bid to recruit potential future members.

I’m far removed from the Admit Weekend preparations; as a sophomore, I’m not asked to house any ProFros. However, through my experiences of once being a ProFro myself and of housing and advising ProFros last year, I’ve decided to share my wisdom on how to make the most of your weekend visit.

  1. Don’t feel obligated to go to every single event on your schedule.

At Admit Weekend, you’ll be given a program brochure of activities, lectures, open houses, and tours that you can attend, scheduled every day from morning to night. When I got my brochure, I was determined to attend as many events as I could because I didn’t want to miss out on “the experience.”

I would not recommend this. I ended up being extremely tired and stressed from running around campus all weekend, and I didn’t get to meet as many people as I had hoped to because I was constantly jetting from event to event by myself. Take some time to sit in the Oval and relax. Or grab a few friends and head into Palo Alto. Explore!

 

  1. Admit Weekend at Stanford is, well, just like Admit Weekend everywhere else.

Activities Fair? Check. Sleeping on the floor of a stranger’s dorm room? Check. Waffles imprinted with the school insignia? Check.

If you’ve already been to another admitted students weekend, you know what to expect at Stanford’s. However, this works in your favor! Eliminating all the commonalities can help you identify what the key differences are — and figure out where you liked visiting the most.

 

  1. Don’t worry if you don’t make 50 best friends.

Admit Weekend is a weird experience: A bunch of high school students are thrown together, and in this context of anxiety and eagerness, people form friendships quickly. I knew people who had literal cliques at the end of the weekend. Me? I made a couple of friends who I hung out with for part of the weekend, but I didn’t find a BFF. I worried that meant I would have difficulty making friends when I actually started attending Stanford.

Not true! Most of the time, the friendships you make during Admit Weekend aren’t sustained. For me, a couple of the girls I met at Admit Weekend actually did end up becoming my good friends during freshman year, but I essentially had to meet and get to know them all over again. Three days is not enough time to make lifelong friendships.

 

  1. Bring a sense of humor.

There will be lots of awkward “getting to know you” improv games. If you leave your self-consciousness at home, your experience will be wholly improved — trust me. Also remember that no one is going to remember any of this in the fall.

 

  1. Remember that Admit Weekend Stanford is not the same as regular Stanford.

The fact that they turned on the fountains for the first time in a year, right before Admit Weekend, is a great example of how this weekend is so unlike normal, school year Stanford. The food is better, the grass is trimmed, banners are flying. Stanford tries very hard to sell their image. This is understandable, but it’s also important to know that on the daily, the Band does not welcome me out of lecture.

For introverts like me, Admit Weekend can be overwhelming. Know that the campus isn’t always this superficially happy. Most of the time, being a Stanford student is just doing p-sets and going to Late Night. If you want a good sense of what the day-to-day of being a Stanford student is like, talk to the upperclassmen or drop in on an actual lecture.

 

  1. Have fun!

Seriously. Even as a Stanford student, I rarely get a full weekend without homework to explore campus, pop in on guest lectures with award-winning professors, and just enjoy Stanford.

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Revisiting FACES https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/19/revisiting-faces/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/19/revisiting-faces/#respond Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:09:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1113700 When I heard about the initiative to begin a FACES-like event for each class at Stanford, I was both hesitant and elated. Campus politics have been turbulent lately, and if not done right, I worried that “FACES of Our Year” would be another callous attempt to “start campus conversations.” Freshman year FACES had been breathtaking […]

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When I heard about the initiative to begin a FACES-like event for each class at Stanford, I was both hesitant and elated. Campus politics have been turbulent lately, and if not done right, I worried that “FACES of Our Year” would be another callous attempt to “start campus conversations.”

Freshman year FACES had been breathtaking in that it was raw and transformative at a time when I was vulnerably naïve. I remember talking in the dark courtyard behind my freshman dorm for the debriefing/discussion after FACES, and the words “privilege” and “class” rolled around on my tongue like marbles, awkwardly new.

When I found the courage to talk, my voice embarrassingly cracked, and everyone in my group kind of tutted sympathetically at me. Someone even patted my arm clumsily. I wanted to melt into the ground, because it wasn’t that I had never thought about my privilege before. It was just that my emotional self-control — already on edge with new dorms, new friends, new everything — had kind of shattered after FACES. Mostly, I just remember excitedly texting my best friend back home: “OMG we just had a super long discussion about privilege and feminism and classism!!!” Finally, I thought, I had found a place where people were willing to talk about these topics.

But today I was hesitant because the speech on campus had turned hurtful, and I was no longer a high-strung, anxious freshman. I wondered if FACES would still emotionally move me.

Moreover, I had always had my doubts about the ethics of FACES. To me, there was always a sense of guilty voyeurism to hearing someone’s deepest, darkest secrets on a stage. I also felt guilt at the relief I felt after FACES. I walked away thinking, “I guess my life isn’t so bad after all.” But people weren’t sharing their stories for me to feel better about my life. Their stories weren’t benchmarks for me to compare my own or tragedies for me to view from a vantage point a mile away.

I guess my biggest problem was that I viewed the FACES stories with sympathy, but not empathy.

So, when I walked into FACES of Our Year: Class of 2018, I walked in with an open and critical mind. At first I was impressed. The sophomore cabinet had taken care to arrange the setting as an intimate dinner, and the peer facilitators and Bridge/CAPS handouts stationed at each table were a nice touch. (Not to mention the fun incentives of Coupa gift cards and catered food.)

The four stories were well-executed, eloquent and thoughtfully chosen. Most of them focused on aspects of mental health and one on race. I wish they had chosen at least one male speaker for more of a balance (given societal ideas about masculinity equating to not admitting weakness or emotion, I wonder if that would have encouraged the men in the audience to more deeply connect), but overall, they delivered.

I didn’t cry, which surprised me, but I realized during the after-dinner discussion, how different I was from the girl who listened to FACES in Memorial Auditorium during NSO. I had lived and experienced many of the issues the speakers tackled in their speeches since freshman year, and I had survived. I didn’t need the messages of hope and acceptance they delivered.

But as I watched one student after another slip through the doors in the back of Paul Brest Hall in the middle of the FACES speeches, red-eyed and trembling, and then return to their tables to be greeted by comforting hugs, I realized that it didn’t matter what I thought about FACES. Because as long as one person benefitted from this event, as long as one sophomore in the audience heard their peers confess a secret pain and thought, “Yes, me too, I’m not alone,” then this event was successful and ought to continue every year.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Behind the Scenes of Stanford Splash https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/13/behind-the-scenes-of-stanford-splash/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/13/behind-the-scenes-of-stanford-splash/#respond Thu, 14 Apr 2016 00:00:23 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1113555 Twice a year, Building 110 becomes mission control for the nation’s second-largest Splash event. Splash programs are held on campuses across the country and even on one campus in the U.K., and they are all independently run and funded. The idea is simple but ingenious: College students teach what they love to students who want […]

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Twice a year, Building 110 becomes mission control for the nation’s second-largest Splash event. Splash programs are held on campuses across the country and even on one campus in the U.K., and they are all independently run and funded. The idea is simple but ingenious: College students teach what they love to students who want to learn.

Organizing a two-day long program for 1,300 middle and high school students is no easy feat. Building 110 is a whirlwind: Pamphlets are scattered across multiple folding tables pushed together; packets of trail mix and dried mangoes are littered here and there. The administrative team, indicated by their turquoise blue shirts, are all vigorously typing away at computers or yelling orders into walkie-talkies.

But there is, above all, an order to the chaos.

I find Nick Rodriguez ’18 at the end of the table. He’s speaking rapidly into his phone in a clipped, professional tone.  He wraps up the message before greeting me. He looks incredibly alert despite the fact that he’s functioning on less than four hours of sleep.

“Did someone not show up?” I ask, regarding the message he left.

He indicates a color-coded version of the Stanford Splash website. “At the start of every hour, we check and see what teachers haven’t checked in for their classes. And if they haven’t checked in yet, we give them a call.”

Map of Splash locations.
Map of Splash locations. (Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)

Nick is the co-director of Stanford Splash, so I ask him if he’s in charge of running the show. “[There are] two presidents and financial officers, as well as teams of admins. Each team has a team share, like teacher logistics, teacher development and student experience.” The teams are in charge of everything from teacher training to recording student satisfaction surveys and teacher reviews.

Friday, the day before Splash starts, is surprisingly the longest day of the weekend for the Splash team. “Friday’s an all-day thing for everybody. Some people have to go to Costco to buy food and drinks from about 9 to 12. We also have a truck that goes to our storage unit at 1, and by the time we unload everything on campus, it’s about 6.” A few of the leaders of Splash, Nick included, stayed to set up finishing touches until 1 a.m. the night before, two hours after the rest of the Splash team left around 11 p.m.

Throughout our conversation, volunteers poke their heads in the doorway with different inquiries: “Where’s teacher check-in?” “We need to pick up the parents from the tour in five minutes.”

Most students at Stanford Splash pay the $40 registration fee, but Nick tells me about the four outreach schools that Stanford Splash helps waive fees for. “They’re schools from minority or lower-income communities that may not have known about Splash or may not have the means to come to Splash otherwise,” he says. Splash organizes tuition waivers and transportation, if necessary, for these students.

After students arrive at 8:30 a.m. the Splash classes run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, with lunch breaks.  I learn about the efforts Splash has made to reduce food waste as well. “SPOON (Stanford Project on Hunger) is supposed to come and pick up the leftover boxes of pizza today. We also have compost bins all around the lunch area,” says Nick, which reminds him to walkie-talkie to check in on the lunch clean-up. Immediately after, he helps a lost student and reminds another volunteer that Splash t-shirts are for sale for $10.

To me, it seems like the swarm of kids with their parents is enormous, but Nick remarks that Splash is actually smaller this year. With the new limitations on teachers that are not Stanford-affiliated, they haven’t been able to accommodate as many students as years before.

Still, I’m impressed by the scope of the program: 60 to 70 Stanford volunteers, 300 teachers, 25 administrative members and two advisors, Ankita and Rosy, from SAL and Haas. There are even a few “exchange” students from the leadership teams of other Splash programs at UNC, Pomona, Yale, Berkeley and other schools, here to learn about how Stanford Splash is run.

And all this again tomorrow? Nick nods, adding that they also have to clean up and move everything back to the storage unit at the end of Splash.

The phone goes off. A volunteer surreptitiously adds a tally mark to the whiteboard in a column marked with a musical note. There are already three tallies.

I leave Nick to his job and walk out to Main Quad.  The Quad looks radically different from its weekday state, with lanyard-sporting preteens trying to find their next class, tired-looking parents waiting for their kids and incongruously, a wedding party. This transformation is a lot like that of the team in Building 110, who on Monday go back to their regular lives as students, but for now are commanders of the largest Splash event on the West Coast.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu 

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Which Late Night food are you? https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/04/which-late-night-food-are-you/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/04/04/which-late-night-food-are-you/#respond Tue, 05 Apr 2016 06:07:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1113053 It’s 12:43 a.m. You’ve run out of your stash of Trader Joe’s chocolate peanut butter cups, but this PWR essay isn’t going to write itself, and Arrillaga Dining won’t be open for another seven hours. Thank goodness for Late Night.

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It’s 12:43 a.m. You’ve run out of your stash of Trader Joe’s chocolate peanut butter cups, but this PWR essay isn’t going to write itself, and Arrillaga Dining won’t be open for another seven hours. Thank goodness for Late Night.

But wait! Just when you think you’ve found a solution to your hangry-ness, the biggest question of all arises: What food option to choose?

This easy personality test will direct you to the artery-busting junk food of your dreams.

  1. How do you get to class?
    1. Trusty, rusty road bike
    2. Hoverboard/electric skateboard/something you invented in the PRL
    3. Longboard, brah
    4. Power walking

 

  1. What’s your favorite Stanford tradition?
    1. FMOTQ
    2. Wacky Walk
    3. Primal Scream
    4. Midnight Breakfast

 

  1. Where would I find you at a Stanford football game?
    1. Getting nachos at the concessions stand with those free meal swipes
    2. Front row, body painted, screaming at the ESPN camera guy
    3. At the pregame tailgates, hanging with the alumni
    4. Huge fan … I love it when they make those baskets … Catholic McCafe is my favorite … go footballs!

 

  1. It’s a Friday night. You are …
    1. Chilling with your friends
    2. Having the best jam sesh with your buds
    3. Partying it up!!!
    4. Getting ahead on your p-sets and readings for next week

 

  1. Which of the following extracurricular activities would you join?
    1. Club sports
    2. Quidditch
    3. Dance Marathon
    4. Robotics

 

  1. What are you doing this summer?
    1. Research on campus … Mirrielees is going to be lit
    2. Traveling the world, writing a novel and finding yourself
    3. Camp counselor
    4. HMU at Google/Facebook/Twitter

 

  1. You bump into your crush at CoHo. How would you ask them to hang out?
    1. “Hey, let’s get lunch!”
    2. “Have you seen the new postmodernist exhibit at the Cantor?”
    3. “I really like you a latte, do you want to go out sometime?”
    4. “Do you want to work on the Math 51 p-set together this weekend?”

 

 

If you answered mostly 1’s: BREAKFAST BURRITO

You’re a pretty laid back person, and you appreciate the simple things in life. You also appreciate a steaming pile of eggs and potatoes wrapped in a tortilla, and you know that Lag has burritos the size of a small baby.

 

If you answered mostly 2’s: ACAI BERRY BOWL

You like to do things your own way, and people respect that you embrace your individuality. Creative and passionate, you are a lot like the flavorful and refreshingly unique acai berry bowl. Like the berry bowl’s surprising inclusion in the Late Night lineup, there’s no one else like you, but people dig it anyway.

 

If you answered mostly 3’s: MOZZARELLA STICKS

You have a cheesy sense of humor, and you’re totally the life of the party. Your energy is infectious, much like the addictive power of fried cheese.

 

If you answered mostly 4’s: CHICKEN TENDERS

Some people might call you “boring,” but honestly, you just know what you like and what you don’t. You’re ambitious and understated. Chicken tenders at TAP don’t seem too exotic, but the crunchy-coated chicken is consistently satisfying.

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Valentine’s Day Gifts for Every Major https://stanforddaily.com/2016/02/12/valentines-day-gifts-for-every-major/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/02/12/valentines-day-gifts-for-every-major/#respond Sat, 13 Feb 2016 00:58:49 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1110773 That special time of year is coming up again…no, not Big Game. Not Midnight Breakfast. Nope, not FMOTQ. (Wow, we sure have a lot of annual traditions). I’m talking about Valentine’s Day, the one day in a year where you are socially obligated to buy into corporate America and purchase the perfect gift for your […]

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That special time of year is coming up again…no, not Big Game. Not Midnight Breakfast. Nope, not FMOTQ. (Wow, we sure have a lot of annual traditions). I’m talking about Valentine’s Day, the one day in a year where you are socially obligated to buy into corporate America and purchase the perfect gift for your significant other.

 

Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day is 2 days away–just enough time to preorder (or craft if you’re really dedicated) the perfect gift for your valentine. But never fear, the Grind is here with the coolest gift ideas–and we’re not talking flowers and chocolate.

 

Here’s our top list of Valentine’s presents, organized by Stanford major.

  1. STS

Enchant the Science, Technology, and Society major in your life by taking them on a cute date to the Exploratorium After Dark. An 18+ event held every Thursday night, there are different themes, from the science of food pairings to the science of love. For just $15 per ticket, and your significant other can explore all the galleries in the Exploratorium, and if you hold hands in the Tactile Dome, well, it’s pitch black so no one would know.

(Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)
(Samantha Wong/The Stanford Daily)

 

  1. CS

I don’t know why there isn’t one already, but I definitely tried searching for a coffee mug with the Java logo on it–it doesn’t exist, but you can get one custom made! Alternatively: if your SO is mastering Python at the moment, you should definitely get a 50” long stuffed python. Repeat puns with whatever coding language your SO is learning.

 

  1. Humbio or Bio

Three words: Giant. Plush. Cells. Giant Microbes sells plush versions of your favorite cells and microorganisms in sizes up to 2’. If you really want to treat your Humbio friend right, buy them a subscription so they can receive a soft and huggable germ, cell, or STD every month. I mean, c’mon, have you ever seen cuter immunoglobulins? Wrap it up with a cheesy bio-related line (e.g. “There may be 20 amino acids but you’re the most essential thing in my life.”) to really sell it.

vday dollsvday dolls2

  1. Econ

Test your partner’s ability to handle finances and invest wisely by playing Stanfordopoly. The Stanford themed version of Monopoly includes relevant spaces such as “Collision in White Plaza. Advance to the Medical Center and lose 1 turn to recover.” And if you can play Monopoly together, you’ll be able to weather anything.

 

vday monopoly

  1. Chemistry

These awesome necklaces are shaped like chemical compounds. This one in particular is modeled after serotonin, a neurochemical thought to be responsible for the feelings of love.

vday chemistry

  1. Product Design

Give your favorite designer the perfect space to ideate. Personalize a Moleskine notebook with their name on it through the online store, or choose from a variety of themes including Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland. Everyone in the d.school will be jealous.

vday d school

  1. Psych

The social experiment popularized by Dr. Arthur Aron is back in card game form. Cement your relationship with your favorite psych major by going through the 36 questions of “The Love Game.” If you’re not persuaded yet, check out this Internet review, which left me teary and pondering my existence.

vday love game

  1. French

Can’t make it to Paris ? Lock in your love somewhere on campus with these cute love locks. (Note: vandalism is strongly discouraged).

vday locket

  1. Music

Impress your partner with your grasp of music theory and composition. Make them their own custom music box with a rousing sonata you wrote for them. A move as classic as that V7 to I chord progression.

vday music

  1. EE

Probably one of the neatest little contraptions I’ve seen in awhile, this DIY video game kit has all the parts your partner needs to make her own video game, with preprogrammed Snakes and Pong games. You do need to solder some parts together, but hey, that’s a great excuse to spend more time together with your sweetie. Plus, all those EE classes come in handy, because you can program the Arduino to design your own video game. Bonus points if you program a custom game for Valentine’s Day.

vday gaming

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Grieving at Stanford https://stanforddaily.com/2016/02/12/grieving-at-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/02/12/grieving-at-stanford/#respond Fri, 12 Feb 2016 23:22:50 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1110771 Stanford seems like bliss–there’s the eternal sunshine, the palm trees, the smiling students… In fact, Stanford students are so loath to admit to any kind of misery whatsoever that when asked “How are you?” the standard response is “Great!” We’re the university that talks about climate change and social justice issues, but the one thing […]

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Stanford seems like bliss–there’s the eternal sunshine, the palm trees, the smiling students… In fact, Stanford students are so loath to admit to any kind of misery whatsoever that when asked “How are you?” the standard response is “Great!” We’re the university that talks about climate change and social justice issues, but the one thing that we talk about least is grieving.

Whether it’s a celebrity’s mass-mourned death or a close family member’s passing, grieving in college is hard. No one wants to be the person who answers “Terrible,” when someone asks, “How are you?”

There is definitely an audience for grief counseling at Stanford–I’ve had too many friends silently struggle with the loss of a relative or friend. But even though most of us have probably lost someone during our time here, death is not a concept we talk about.

The resources Stanford provides for students dealing with grief are hard to find. A Google search dug up grief.stanford.edu, a website with a directory to campus resources and a memorial page where students, faculty, and staff can submit electronic memorials. Only 12 memorials have been posted so far.

CAPS and The Bridge are two suggested resources for counseling, but as Matt Daniel ‘18 put it, “I didn’t really know which Stanford institution to talk to. The Bridge has peer counseling and CAPS has psychological help, but it felt like my grief fell out of those lines.”

To investigate, I called CAPS to find out what grief counseling resources were actually available. It turns out that there is a bi-quarterly Student Grief and Bereavement Workshop. The workshops are opportunities for members of the Stanford community to talk about their grief in a safe setting, moderated by a CAPS counselor and a representative from the Office of Religious Life. If students want to pursue additional one-one-one counseling, however, they will need to make an appointment with CAPS.

I also called the Bridge to ask if they offer grief counseling, which they do, both over the phone and in person. But I couldn’t help but wonder: if I was deeply struggling with grief, would I have taken the steps and initiative to call CAPS or the Bridge and ask for help? At least, in my experience, I didn’t necessarily look for these resources when I needed them most.

More should be done to promote and advertise these services, especially since grief is so universally experienced. By silencing speech on grief, we are complicit in the idea that negative feelings are abnormal. Instead of bottling up stress into a week of screaming at midnight before finals, maybe we should talk about grief and sadness and stress. Maybe we should be okay with the idea of answering “How are you?” with “Not good.”

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Sending history home one letter at a time https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/19/sending-history-home-one-letter-at-a-time/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/19/sending-history-home-one-letter-at-a-time/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2015 02:26:37 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1107541 A treasure trove of student experiences is being turned into a book, “Letters Home,” through a collaboration between the University Archives and Alison Davis ‘79. The Stanford Alumni Legacy Project has been carefully collecting original and scans of materials made by students and alumni during their time at Stanford — scrapbooks, photographs, posters, flyers and […]

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A treasure trove of student experiences is being turned into a book, “Letters Home,” through a collaboration between the University Archives and Alison Davis ‘79. The Stanford Alumni Legacy Project has been carefully collecting original and scans of materials made by students and alumni during their time at Stanford — scrapbooks, photographs, posters, flyers and even texts.

“Dear Mother, Soon I will get into as bad habits as Dad — writing you every day. That would be too expensive for me, though.”

The trope of broke college students seems to be timeless. Only the next line distinguishes the author as belonging to another century: “Last night, we were reading aloud when Herbert Hoover came in. Little Herbert Hoover, that is.” That’s right, the Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States, but at the time of writing, just another one of the kids.

letters1
Samantha Wong / The Stanford Daily

Inspired by her mother’s collection of letters home, written twice a week for four years in the 1940s, Davis is working with the University Archives to create an “intergenerational gab session” through “Letters Home.”

“Just from reading my mom’s letters and my own letters, I saw the connections between generations attending Stanford and how we have a lot more in common than meets the eye,” said Davis.

Davis has been poring through the archives’ letters, some of which date back to 1891, but she’s also actively requesting for more submissions from alumni and current students of more recent letters and media.

“No one’s writing letters, but they are writing emails and sending texts,” said Laine Bruzek ‘16, who is an undergraduate student adviser for “Letters Home.”

To Bruzek, the most interesting part of “Letters Home” is seeing how media choices in itself tell stories.

“What are the similarities and differences between the sweat-faced emoji and the anxiety that is conveyed in a letter?” she asked.

The goal of the “Letters Home” project is to not only create a collection in book form of student memories, but to also expand and bring awareness to the University Archives. In fact, every student on campus can access these primary source materials, including the Herbert Hoover letter mentioned above. One stand-out letter Davis remembers fondly was written the day after WWI, describing how the entire student body traipsed into downtown Palo Alto to throw a parade at 3 a.m. “It really makes history come alive,” said Davis.

“The letters show the uniqueness of the time period, but they also show how some things don’t change,” said Daniel Hartwig, university archivist.  “There are all these adjustments coming to Stanford: You’re a fish out of water, you’re learning new things, you’re alone and scared, you miss home. The letters are much more a reflection of student life in general.”

According to Davis, some of these commonalities include students’ first letters home, letters about last days on the Farm, “laundry letters” (“How do I do the laundry? Can you send me some money?”) and Beat Cal letters. “Everyone writes home about the football game in the fall. I’ll really have to edit that chapter down,” laughs Davis.

Surprisingly, the similarities can also tend toward the negative. One letter from the 1890s is from a girl ruminating to her mother whether the male students applying for the on-campus position she wanted were favored over her. “Women have come a long way at Stanford, but certainly those issues persist,” adds Davis.

Overall, the group emphasized “Letters Home” as a collaborative effort with the Stanford community. “This is a way to let your voice be heard,” said assistant university archivist Josh Schneider. “Stanford is known for being very idiosyncratic, with lots of people doing their own thing and doing it well, and we want to make sure that that’s captured.”

All students, past and future, graduate and undergraduate, are encouraged to submit their letters and photos.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Things to do over Thanksgiving Break https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/15/things-to-do-over-thanksgiving-break/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/15/things-to-do-over-thanksgiving-break/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2015 03:59:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1106809 Whether you’re on campus because you didn’t feel like spending a fortune on plane tickets home or if you just want to avoid the inevitable Thanksgiving family drama, you’ll never have to worry about being bored during your week off. Below is a list of 10 fun and affordable things to do and places to visit […]

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Whether you’re on campus because you didn’t feel like spending a fortune on plane tickets home or if you just want to avoid the inevitable Thanksgiving family drama, you’ll never have to worry about being bored during your week off. Below is a list of 10 fun and affordable things to do and places to visit in the Bay Area, all either biking or driving distance from campus.

Within biking distance

Black Friday shopping at the Stanford Shopping Center.

That designer jacket you’ve had on your Pinterest style board for months? Probably on sale now.

Recharge your style and take on the day with @expressrunway newest arrivals. #StanfordShoppingCenter #Express

A photo posted by Stanford Shopping Center (@stanfordshop) on

Go on a dessert crawl of downtown Palo Alto. My friend did this for her birthday, but Thanksgiving is also a valid excuse to gorge yourself on the wonderful sugary treats just a bike ride away. From ice cream sandwiches to macarons, gelato to cupcakes, your options are limitless.

Watch a movie at the Stanford Theater.

Step back into the 1920s in this vintage movie theater for some classic black-and-white movies (with a live accompanist on organ!). At this point you’re basically Gatsby.

Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House.

Spend your Thanksgiving giving back by volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides temporary accommodations for families with ill children at Lucille Packard. Grab a group of friends and sign up to make home-cooked meals.

Sheraton Palo Alto managers prepared dinner last night for the families at the Ronald McDonald House! @sheratonpaloalto @rmhstanford A photo posted by Sheraton Palo Alto (@sheratonpaloalto) on

Picnic on top of the Dish

Take friends/your significant other and a picnic basket to the top of the Dish. Not only can you enjoy your meal with a view, but you can also work off those calories simultaneously.

who said fall never comes to cali? ??

A photo posted by Alexandra Halbeck (@alexandrahalbeck) on

Within Driving Distance Visit Half Moon Bay.

About a 45-minute drive from Stanford, Half Moon Bay is a quiet coastal community famous for its gigantic Ritz-Carlton with a private golf course. Visiting the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, where you can see harbor seals and tide pools, is always a highlight, as is a trip to Sam’s Chowder House. Enjoying a hearty bowl of clam chowder on their oceanfront patio beats out dry turkey in my book, at least.

Rent an AirBnB by the beach (Sausalito).

Sausalito is a cute oceanfront town right outside of the city. Laid-back and full of chintzy shops, it’s great to visit for a day trip. AirBnB has several listings in Sausalito from a room in a houseboat to a beachfront cottage, perfect for a few days away from the buzz of Silicon Valley. Can you say quality R&R?

Explore San Francisco’s Japantown.

Less famous than Chinatown, Japantown boasts the same mix of tourism and authenticity. Japanese restaurants and stores are nestled all within a city block, perfect for exploring and spending the day. Favorite shops in Japantown include Belly Good Cafe’s character ice cream crepes (the owner hand-makes each crepe into an unique edible cartoon animal) and Daiso, where everything is $1.50, from Japanese seaweed snacks to cute stationary.

Walk Golden Gate Park (and the Golden Gate Bridge)!

Unlike driving, walking/biking across the Golden Gate Bridge is free of charge. About 2 miles both ways, the bridge can be chilly but offers great views of the Bay (and the occasional dolphin). An alternative is walking Golden Gate Park, just south of the Bridge. The Park’s unique features include a bison paddock, Dutch windmills, a historic merry-go-around and a Japanese tea garden.

???

A photo posted by Madison Dutro | Maui (@mmadichan) on

Watch a Concert/Musical.

Artists performing in the Bay Area during Thanksgiving break include Grammy-winning jazz singer Esperanza Spalding, Chance the Rapper (sold out), indie pop artist Børns, and in a real throwback, ‘90s teen star Jojo. Also, the national tour of the musical, If/Then, is stopping at the Orpheum Theatre until early December. Thanksgiving break is prime time for catching Queen Elsa herself, Idina Menzel, in this original Broadway production.

A photo posted by IF/THEN (@ifthenmusical) on

 

Send Samantha Wong more cool places to visit at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Crushin’ on Stanford Crushes https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/06/crushin-on-stanford-crushes/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/06/crushin-on-stanford-crushes/#respond Fri, 06 Nov 2015 10:09:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1106367 The Grind chats with the famous page’s new successor about sexy anonymous messages, Facebook analytics and relationships. On Sept. 19, the anonymous creator of the popular Facebook page Stanford Crushes finally revealed his identity. Charlie Rosas ’15 posted a picture of his Wacky Walk garb, complete with a large heart-shaped “Stanford Crushes” sign, and captioned […]

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The Grind chats with the famous page’s new successor about sexy anonymous messages, Facebook analytics and relationships.

On Sept. 19, the anonymous creator of the popular Facebook page Stanford Crushes finally revealed his identity. Charlie Rosas ’15 posted a picture of his Wacky Walk garb, complete with a large heart-shaped “Stanford Crushes” sign, and captioned it with a last farewell. More importantly, he declared that he had chosen to pass the position of moderator on to “someone new, who…will breathe new life into the page and continue to preserve the kind but playful spirit of Stanford Crushes.”

The last time The Daily spoke with Stanford Crushes was in 2013, when the page had 860 likes and 890 posts. As of this writing, Stanford Crushes boasts 3,352 likes and 4,860 posts looking for mysterious strangers and shouting out unrequited loves.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

TG: How did you get involved with Stanford Crushes and how has your experience been so far?

SC: During spring quarter, the previous Stanford Crushes was looking for people to take over the page, and I filled out the short questionnaire he posted. About two days before school started [this year], I got an email saying, “I thought your application really stood out and your intentions match what I want for the page.” We talked over Skype about his views on going forward with the page — he made it two and a half years ago — and a couple days later, I was admin and posting messages. I didn’t know Charlie at all before getting the job.

TG: How do you choose what relationships to feature?

SC: It’s complicated because I keep thinking, who do I want on the page — I can’t just choose the people I know. At some point it won’t be hard to trace back to who I am.

TG: What is Stanford Crushes to you?

SC: It’s a hard thing to balance. Stanford Crushes is a crushes page, while most schools have a compliments page. Many of the messages I receive are just compliments, but some are overtly sexual. Not everything that comes through is nice — of course, I don’t post those.

TG: So you do filter the posts?

SC: Yes, but only to a certain degree. I can only think of one time where I posted something by accident and I had to take it down immediately (after 20 minutes).

TG: So what gets filtered and what doesn’t? Do people really submit mean things?

SC: I definitely feel safe posting things like, “Hey, so-and-so, I think you’re a really nice person,” but not anything really sexual. Charlie also filtered the messages, but I might be more conservative on deciding what not to post. Because I do get requests to take posts out. People will message me and say, “Well, I’m trying to get a job right now.”

TG: Have you ever sent or received an anonymous crush?

SC: No. There are people in my life who could use some support, but I think I have to draw the line as the person running the page. I don’t want people to think that the posts are all written by me! Even before the job, I never sent or received one, but it made me happy to see the joy it brought to other people.

TG: How many requests do you get everyday?

SC: It varies. I haven’t looked at the requests today, but I expect to get a lot from FMOTQ [laughs]. I get more messages right after I post, since people remember that the page exists, and also after events on campus — people meet new people.

TG: Can you tell us a funny story about something that’s happened during your time as Stanford Crushes so far?

SC: Once I got three separate messages from someone looking for a girl he met at a party. The first was a description. The second was sent an hour later, saying, “Hey Stanford Crushes please don’t post it, I found the girl.” And then a third: “Just kidding, it wasn’t the right girl, please post my first message.”

TG: I wonder if any relationships have come out of Stanford Crushes.

SC: I get requests to reveal message writers, but 90 percent of the time, I don’t know who they are. The 10 percent are from people who message the page directly [and not through the anonymous Google form].

TG: What are your most popular posts?

SC: When I post a relationship feature, the readership really spikes. There’s also a whole science of when to post. I try to post in the afternoon and evening, before dinner.

TG: To conclude, what’s one thing you hope people will take away from Stanford Crushes?

SC: I think I touched on this before, but I get a lot of messages that are very sexual and that I have to filter. When I started out, I wanted to promote a culture that didn’t just sexualize everything. The photography project focuses on relationships in a broad sense. I mean, I’m someone who isn’t pursuing a relationship but is posting all about relationships.

At Stanford, I think it’s hard to find real relationships: FMOTQ is an example of that. Now that I run the page, I pay more attention to causes on campus like the Happiness Collective and the Duck Stops Here, initiatives that promote campus morale.

I just feel like people need to know, “You can find real friends here at Stanford and maintain good, strong relationships.” That’s what I want people to take away. There are happy people here. Not everyone’s a duck.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Ultimate list of birthday freebies https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/29/ultimate-list-of-birthday-freebies/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/29/ultimate-list-of-birthday-freebies/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2015 05:43:16 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1105951 Celebrating your birthday at Stanford notoriously includes getting showered at midnight. But did you know that there are tons of perks to celebrating your birthday on The Farm? We investigated some of the best birthday deals around so that the next time your special day rolls around, you can look forward to a lot more […]

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Celebrating your birthday at Stanford notoriously includes getting showered at midnight. But did you know that there are tons of perks to celebrating your birthday on The Farm? We investigated some of the best birthday deals around so that the next time your special day rolls around, you can look forward to a lot more than wet clothes.

  1. Sign up for Jamba Juice rewards and get a free juice or smoothie on your birthday.
  2. If you’re a Starbucks Rewards member, get any menu item of any size on your birthday. Yes, that means you can get your venti three-shot soy pumpkin spice latte absolutely free.
  3. CREAM also has birthday gifts, but you have to make an account online first. Use your account to save points and get a free ice cream sandwich for every 10 you buy.
  4. At Sephora in the Stanford Shopping Center, treat yourself to a free set of NARS lip pencils. Alternately (or additionally), you can stop by BareMinerals for a birthday gift if you join “Friends AND Benefits.”
  5. Download the app to get a free pretzel at Auntie Anne’s.
  6. Fans of Aveda can get a free gift (and smell nice for days).
  7. If you have a Coupa Card, you can get a free drink on your birthday. It’s also a pretty good deal for avid Coupa fans, as you can collect rewards points redeemable for future drinks.
  8. If you want to make the drive out to Denny’s, their birthday gift is no secret: You get a free Grand Slam.
  9. Sprinkles Birthday Club sends you a coupon for a free cupcake on your birthday every year.
  10. With a Pinkberry rewards card or app, you can get a free yogurt on your birthday.
  11. Craving some orange chicken? Get free Panda Express on your birthday if you sign up online, even at the Tresidder location.
  12. A bonus Halloween freebie for everyone this week: Get a free Krispy Kreme donut by going into the nearest shop (in Mountain View) on Halloween wearing your costume. Also, you can get a $3 Chipotle burrito by wearing a costume with something “unnecessary” added on.

Happy birthday, from the Grind!

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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I’ll have my fish porridge (and eat it too) https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/22/have-my-fish-porridge-and-eat-it-too/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/22/have-my-fish-porridge-and-eat-it-too/#respond Fri, 23 Oct 2015 04:20:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1105527 A couple weeks ago, I was waiting in line at Wilbur brunch when an acquaintance in front of me loudly commented to his friend, “Did you see that fish porridge?” He didn’t need to say specifics for me to hear the unspoken, “Ew, who would eat something like that?” He glanced back at me and […]

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A couple weeks ago, I was waiting in line at Wilbur brunch when an acquaintance in front of me loudly commented to his friend, “Did you see that fish porridge?” He didn’t need to say specifics for me to hear the unspoken, “Ew, who would eat something like that?”
He glanced back at me and my eyes dropped to the bowl of fish porridge in my hand. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how happy I had been to see the piping hot fish porridge, labeled in both Chinese characters and English. “It’s good,” I protested quietly.

“No, I think it’s great that they have it,” he agreed and I smiled, glad not to be shamed for my eating choices. “It’s not really a dining hall experience unless you see something that really shocks you,” he continued, and my smile quickly faded.
(MARY SEBASTIAN/Flickr)
Courtesy of MARY SEBASTIAN, Flickr

Although the comment wasn’t meant to be spiteful, I found myself dwelling on it. Why is shaming Chinese-Americans for their food so common that the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat made it a subplot of an entire episode? I felt like Eddie Huang, bringing his mom’s homemade noodles to school only for the proverbial American to shout “Ming Ming’s eating worms!” Even a popular children’s picture book discusses the issue of food shaming, centering on a Japanese cat who is teased at school for bringing sushi in her lunch box.

Porridge, or congee, is a Chinese food that dates back thousands of years. A hearty dish of rice boiled in excess water, it has the same stick-to-your-ribs feel of oatmeal and can be made with various toppings, including fish. Porridge’s huge importance comes from the fact that its only ingredients are rice and water, making it a staple across socioeconomic backgrounds. During historic times of famine, porridge could stretch a bowl of rice to feed many mouths. Personally, my mom always made it for me when I was sick—our version of chicken noodle soup.

But instead of educating my peer on porridge, or persuading him that it was tasty, I pondered instead on what separated porridge from Asian staples that had become accepted in mainstream American culture. I doubt he would have blatantly scoffed if Wilbur had offered sushi or boba. Somehow, ethnic foods must be validated by Western cuisine to be considered edible and delicious.

Just take a look at recent popular food trends that borrow from all sorts of cultures: sriracha from Vietnam, pork belly from China, ramen from Japan. No one questions or laughs when I profess my love for chow mein. Even chicken wings, the popular Super Bowl snack, didn’t slip into the mainstream until the 1980s. Today’s cultural diversity in food is relatively new, and I forget the privilege that I have in being able to enjoy and share these foods, compared to my parents, who were told off for “stinking” up the place when they cooked curries in their dorm kitchenettes. But the innocuous comment of porridge being “shocking” brought me back to the reality of being a bicultural student; the reality of still feeling like a foreigner in one of the more diverse universities in America.

In other words, we are a far cry from my parents’ ostracization in 1980s Nebraska. But my acquaintance’s jabs at my culture’s food demonstrate how we also have a ways to go.

Perhaps ten years from now, fish porridge will become a popular menu item of hip farm-to-fork restaurants in San Francisco. But until then, I’ll enjoy the porridge that Wilbur serves every weekend. I invite you to try it too.

 

Talk to Samantha Wong about food at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Tips for stretching your (Meal Plan) Dollars https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/14/stretching-your-meal-plan-dollars/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/14/stretching-your-meal-plan-dollars/#respond Thu, 15 Oct 2015 05:00:03 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1104806 To the uninitiated, Meal Plan Dollars (officially called MPD) seem like an amazing deal. “What?” exclaimed freshman-year me. “I get extra money to spend on more food? This is amazing!” Alas, after depleting all 150 MPD within the first two weeks of the quarter (curse you, Late Night), I quickly realized that I was actually […]

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To the uninitiated, Meal Plan Dollars (officially called MPD) seem like an amazing deal. “What?” exclaimed freshman-year me. “I get extra money to spend on more food? This is amazing!”

Alas, after depleting all 150 MPD within the first two weeks of the quarter (curse you, Late Night), I quickly realized that I was actually getting the short end of the stick. Unlike peer schools that offer students the option to eat fewer meals, Stanford asks all students to pay the food fee. It’s important to note this, since you pay the same even if all you eat for breakfast is a bowl of Cocoa Puffs that probably cost R&DE less than 10 cents.

I know, I know, the money is necessary for the upkeep of dining halls. I think our dining staff comprises some of the best people on campus. So, we’ll make do with what we have. Here are five easy tips, with bonus alliteration, to stretch those Meal Plan Dollars.

Do your math

We Cards pay a flat rate for meal plans, regardless of the amount we eat. During the 2015-16 school year, it costs $5,761 total. Looking at just the $2,091 amount for fall quarter, we can see that this averages about $9 per meal, if you go for the 19-meals-per-week meal plan. Not bad.

But if you want to eat something besides Arillaga’s infamously dry chicken everyday, the story is different.

If we think of MPD as regular dollars, we subtract the 155 Meal Plan Dollars from the $2,091 fee, and the 14 meals per week come out to $12.30 per meal. Ten meals per week comes out to $15 per meal. That’s a hefty price to pay for a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

So, if you want the most bang for your buck, go with the 19 meal plan.

Breakfast brilliantly

Cereal and milk from Munger could last a week. Granola bars can keep under your bed for months. Let’s face it: How often are we actually hungry AND awake at 8 a.m.? Swap the $9+ breakfast for a filling snack-meal of Munger goodies and rejoice. You’ll have enough Meal Plan Dollars to last the entire quarter.

Lunch logically

However, most Stanford students like to change up their meals from the daily salad bar. Most R&DE cafes (aka the only places that allow you to use your MPD) are closed for breakfast and dinner. So the best time to spend your MPD is at lunch. A hot lunch of baked salmon with pesto over rice pilaf at Olive’s will set you back about $7.50, but the portions are so big, you could save the rest for dinner. Subway is also a good choice for lunch — upgrade to a footlong for about $2 more and save half for dinner. (Did I mention that investing in a mini fridge is a great idea?)

Snack smartly

Late Night can be bad for you and your wallet. Swap the overpriced chicken tenders for some sensible snacks at Munger, where you can buy Chobani yogurt for $2, a box of baby carrots for $1 and a loaf of sourdough for about $2. Spread some Nutella on that, and you’ve got a midnight snack better than the $8 acai berry bowl.

Shop sensibly

Speaking of Munger, skip the $4.50 Naked juice and coconut chips. Grab some organic dark chocolate almonds from the bulk section (letting you choose exactly how much you want to eat), a can of Pringles for a little under $2 or a quart of milk for about $2 to go with some boxed granola. Even the gelato is a reasonable splurge: At $4.05 for a medium cup, the Italian ice cream is comparable to Palo Alto prices, without even factoring transportation costs of going outside of the Bubble.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Nine types of people you’ll meet in your freshman dorm https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/08/9-types-of-people-youll-meet-in-your-freshman-dorm/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/10/08/9-types-of-people-youll-meet-in-your-freshman-dorm/#respond Fri, 09 Oct 2015 01:28:18 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1104574 One of the most exciting parts of freshman year is getting to know the people in your dorm. Bonded by the mutual experience of having absolutely no idea where you’re going in life both figuratively and literally (who even knows where Littlefield is), you and your dormmates basically achieve BFF status in a couple of […]

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One of the most exciting parts of freshman year is getting to know the people in your dorm. Bonded by the mutual experience of having absolutely no idea where you’re going in life both figuratively and literally (who even knows where Littlefield is), you and your dormmates basically achieve BFF status in a couple of days. It’s like friendship making on steroids. But even as you form amazing bonds with the 90+ other strangers living with you for a year, it’s hard not to notice these incredibly Stanford-centric stereotypes. Disclaimer: stereotypes are stereotypes — nobody fits exactly into one category, but hey, it’s a lot of fun hypothesizing which category you’d be in.

 

The jock

Very different from the Stanford athlete, the Jock actually puts time into his Google calendar for working out. His favorite activity is lifting and his primary mode of dress is various muscle tanks and shorts. He probably sleeps with a gallon jug of protein powder under his bed and posts gym mirror selfies on his Insta. You’ll find him most often at the AEORC bench presses.

The health fanatic

Probably vegan and really into naturopathic remedies, she’s the person to go to for honey lemon teas and random herbal extracts. Her favorite restaurant is probably Pressed Juicery and her Instagram features posts of her doing yoga poses on the beach and hiking The Dish, or heavily filtered pictures of her colorful salads. She’s always wearing Lululemon yoga pants. You’ll never know how she can look so #flawless while doing the downward dog.

The start-up guy/girl

Alternates between wearing t-shirts obtained from the CS Career Fair and pastel button-down shirts. He talks constantly about “this app I’m working on” and how it’s going to be “the next Snapchat,” which is funny because it sounds exactly like Snapchat. He’s a pro at networking, sliding into any and all conversations within earshot to introduce himself. Despite more LinkedIn connections than your Facebook friend count, you’ve never actually seen him do any coding.

The gamer

May or may not be related to the Mysteriously Closed Door (see below), but this person spends his or her Friday nights playing LoL [League of Legends] (which is totally cool, you do you). He definitely brought a video game console to Stanford and uses a lot of gaming slang. He’s pulled many all-nighters, not because of p-sets, but because he stayed up playing Smash for four hours. GG, my friend, GG.

The really enthusiastic Stanford fan

Sends lots and lots of emails to the dorm mailing list with gifs and exclamation points. Probably camped out at the stadium for three days to get front row seats at the first football game, at which he painted his entire body red. The punch line of all his jokes is Cal. Has watched every Stanford sporting event that’s viewable to the public. His favorite store is the Stanford bookstore.

The mysteriously closed door

This person never leaves her room and you don’t even know her name. It’s okay. You will probably never know her name. She is actually really happy about that.

Future President of the United States

Everyone knows this gal. May or may not be actually involved with the ASSU or Dorm Gov, but she’s as good at networking as the Start-Up Girl (see above).  Somehow manages to balance 10 extracurriculars and 20 units a quarter and still be sane. Probably met President Obama that one time he came to campus. Probably will be President Obama someday.

The Vogue editor

This girl’s room looks like something out of Pottery Barn and her Instagram has a ridiculous amount of followers. Always looks like she walked out of London Fashion Week but when you compliment her clothes, just says, “Oh this? I just rolled out of bed and grabbed the nearest outfit.” She definitely writes for Mint or Arts Review or Leland Quarterly or all of the above. She’s also really into blogging and probably owns a DSLR.

The partier

Doesn’t have to be involved in Greek life but somehow always knows where the parties are. Remember the spate of party-tracking apps from last year? It doesn’t matter when you have this friend around; his party radar is like the campus police who catch you when forget your bike light – infallible.

If there are more types of people you’ve met, let Samantha Wong know at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Best song ever? https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/26/best-song-ever/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/26/best-song-ever/#respond Fri, 26 Jun 2015 23:11:31 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1101773 “I really liked Hozier, but he’s so mainstream now.”

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“So what kind of music do you listen to?”

I freeze in terror. Quickly, I run through my options, suppressing my instinct to blurt out reputation-destroying words like “One Direction” and “Top 40 Pop Hits.” I consider my interrogator, who just told me, “I really liked Hozier, but he’s so mainstream now.”

“Alternative,” I decide. That’s a safe answer, right?

I unashamedly went through my One Direction phase in high school: The posters and magazines in my room back home and my iTunes library bear witness to this. (On a side note, raise your hand if you were heartbroken when Zayn left the band.)

But I know the stigma associated with liking One Direction, so if anyone ever asks about my favorite musical artist, I generally say something like Taylor Swift — still mainstream, but acceptable. If I’m really trying to impress someone, I say that I like alternative rock, like The 1975 or Kodaline, which, admittedly, are still quite mainstream bands.

But why are we so obsessed with liking music that isn’t “mainstream”? If a song is on the Top 40s Charts, isn’t that an indicator that it’s good enough to be liked by many people? Hozier is still Hozier, even if more people like his music and are aware of it. Whether or not music is mainstream doesn’t affect its quality or its content, and interestingly, music seems to be the only commodity that decreases in value when more people know about it. (The lines at Sushirrito and the sustaining power of name brands prove that popularity can boost “coolness” too.)

By only listening to obscure bands, I think we run the risk of missing good music. I’m not saying that “What Makes You Beautiful” is the apex of musical achievement, but I also don’t think it’s a crime to enjoy listening to it. Millions of other people do.

While hanging out in my friend’s dorm room, his Spotify playlist landed on the newest One Direction song. I gaped as he started singing along. “You like One Direction?” I asked incredulously.

“Why not?” he shrugged. “I like good music.”

Maybe because of his status as an international student, he didn’t realize the American stigma of a guy liking boy bands. Or maybe he’s right. Good music ultimately should tap into your emotions; it should make you happy. And if listening to One Direction on repeat is what you enjoy, I think there’s nothing embarrassing about that.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Chopsticks in Your Hair: Cultural Appropriation at the Met Gala https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/19/chopsticks-in-your-hair-cultural-appropriation-at-the-met-gala/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/19/chopsticks-in-your-hair-cultural-appropriation-at-the-met-gala/#comments Tue, 19 May 2015 07:24:41 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1100850 Just last week, on May 5, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute held its annual fundraising event, the Met Gala. It’s one of the highlights of the season in the fashion world, as A-list celebrities walk the red carpet in all their finery. However, this year, controversy mingled with the sequins and ball gowns. […]

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Just last week, on May 5, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute held its annual fundraising event, the Met Gala. It’s one of the highlights of the season in the fashion world, as A-list celebrities walk the red carpet in all their finery. However, this year, controversy mingled with the sequins and ball gowns.

Per tradition, the Met Gala’s theme corresponds to whatever the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit is. This year, the exhibit was “China: Through the Looking Glass.” And according to tradition, attendees of the ball are encouraged to dress by the theme.

A simple glance on Twitter during the day of the event exemplified the outrage experienced by many people. Using #MetGala, some Twitter users accused attendees of cultural appropriation — one even wrote, “Met gala 2015: upscale versions of most racist Halloween costumes?”

Although Andrew Bolton, a curator of the Costume Institute, emphasized that the exhibit and the theme were meant to portray the “collective fantasy of China,” commentators from news sources such as Business Insider and Huffington Post to Fashionista blog and even People Magazine relayed concerns of Orientalism and cultural appropriation. After all, how do you condense an entire country with thousands of years of culture and history into a piece of eveningwear?

As I watched articles recounting the 50 best looks of the night flash across my computer’s news feed, I winced at the chopsticks in hair buns, the sexualized cheongsams and the inevitable kimono or hanbok interpretation (both of which belong to cultures that are not Chinese). Interestingly enough, Rihanna’s splashy gold cape-gown, which became an Internet meme, was one of a handful of dresses made by a Chinese designer.

So when does dressing for a theme cross the line into cultural appropriation? In this case, a celebration to commemorate an exhibit that portrayed the ways that Western fashion has interpreted Chinese culture lost its nuance in execution. The Costume Institute was careful to say that “China: Through the Looking Glass” was not an exhibition about Chinese couture, but rather the ways Chinese culture has influenced and will continue to influence fashion.

Many of the attendees at the Met Gala avoided controversy with discreet homages to Chinese embroidery or culturally revered colors of red and gold. Some promoted Chinese designers by wearing their dresses — though not aesthetically overtly “Chinese,” these celebrities certainly kept to the theme of celebrating Chinese fashion.

But when an entire culture, race and history is simplified to a caricature, from vaguely Asian-inspired headdresses to a purse in the literal shape of a “China doll,” an event meant to celebrate Chinese culture and fashion ends up mocking the very culture it intended to respect.

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Real Questions, Real Answers: Admit Weekend 2015 https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/07/real-questions-real-answers-admit-weekend-2015/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/07/real-questions-real-answers-admit-weekend-2015/#respond Fri, 08 May 2015 00:06:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1100371 During Admit Weekend 2015, we asked six ProFros the question, “If you could ask a Stanford student any question, what would you ask?” Here, we’ve assembled a diverse group of Stanford students, a panel of current and experienced Trees, to answer these questions in their own words.   Meet Our Panelists Scott Reid: Scott is […]

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During Admit Weekend 2015, we asked six ProFros the question, “If you could ask a Stanford student any question, what would you ask?” Here, we’ve assembled a diverse group of Stanford students, a panel of current and experienced Trees, to answer these questions in their own words.

 

Meet Our Panelists

Scott Reid: Scott is from northern Virginia. He is a sophomore studying physics and thinking about a minor in creative writing. He plays the French horn in a variety of student orchestras, rock climbs recreationally and interns in an astrophysics lab.

Emily Kohn: Emily is a senior majoring in economics and minoring in English. She is a Hume Writing Center tutor. She is currently working on her honors thesis and is involved with student theater.

Kidi Basile: Kidi is a freshman from Cameroon. He is planning to major in electrical engineering with a minor in international development. He is also involved in FCLT and Stanford Quidditch. He loves dancing and music and is passionate about social development.

Ellen Tsay: Ellen is a senior and co-captain of the varsity women’s tennis team, and she is majoring in biology, coterming in biomedical informatics and planning on going to medical school. She is a volunteer scribe, tutored a summer computer science camp and helped develop an online health education curriculum. In her spare time she enjoys running, practicing yoga and reading Tolstoy.

Evan Lin: Evan is a sophomore double majoring in computer science and music (piano performance). He is involved in the music scene at Stanford as a member of two chamber music groups. In addition, he paddles on the Stanford Dragonboat team.

Real Questions and Answers

What is one item that students wouldn’t think of bringing but should definitely bring to their dorm rooms? —Fiona Maguire, Los Angeles

SR: I’m always glad that I have a few Tupperware [containers] and basic silverware. It makes it much easier to make guacamole with friends or spread cookie butter on cookies while studying for midterms.

EK: Oatmeal, tea — [there’s so many] things you make with hot water. A tea kettle is a total godsend and you’re allowed to bring them.

ET: A hand towel. By bringing your own towel to the bathroom, you not only save tons of paper but [also] avoid that icky wet-paper-towel smell when you wipe off your face.

EL: Two of the items I find myself using the most are my stapler and my whiteboard. The need for a stapler is self-explanatory. As for the whiteboard, you’ll probably find writing in dry-erase a lot easier than looking for a clean sheet of paper every time.

 

How easy is it to get involved in clubs on campus? —Kai Klocke, Portland, Oregon

SR: It is much too easy to become involved in clubs. Particularly during fall of freshman year, you’ll be hearing left and right about things you can become involved in. The most difficult thing is definitely parsing through all of the options to find the activities that speak to you the most.

KB: I feel like it’s not easy, because clubs are not very well advertised. You need to be proactive to be really involved. They don’t come to you.

EL: It’s really easy! Just keep an eye out for the activities fair at the beginning of the year, hit up every booth that interests you and sign up for all the mailing lists!

 

What do I do if I don’t know what I want to do in the future? —Dylan Treger, Paradise Valley, Arizona

 KB: Maybe take one year off to work for a community group or a nonprofit, or work in a field that you love so you can find your passion. I know a couple of people who did that, and it helped them to really know what they want to do in the future.

ET: Start by eliminating what you don’t like. Then, if you still can’t decide, just pick a direction and go from there. You have to start somewhere. Also keep in mind that career decisions don’t have to be forever — you can always change your mind and switch careers later on. No experience is wasted; there is always something you can learn from an abandoned career or path and apply to a different career or path later on.

EL: It’s okay! You’ll eventually realize that no one really knows what they want to do (unless they’re premed).

 

What are courses that you can take that would let you explore and let you fit in your WAYS/GER requirements? —Thomas Nguyen, Houston

SR: I’ll take this moment to advertise a really amazing class that I took freshman spring called Human Behavioral Biology. It doesn’t sound like anything special, but the professor, Robert Sapolsky, is amazing, and the class has changed how I view the world on a fundamental level. A biology class where you get to learn about chaos theory, a Nazi who became the mother to many ducklings and the roots of human and animal behavior? Why not?

EK: If you’re interested in the humanities, take SLE. CS106A — that’s really cliche, but it’s a really good class, especially with Keith Schwarz. Introsems are also a good way to explore subjects.

ET: Look for courses that double-count towards two requirements. More importantly, never choose courses that look easy; always choose courses that you are genuinely interested in. Easy courses always end up being hard, because it will be more difficult for you to engage with the material.

 

Do you have suggestions on how to combine both a humanities perspective and a technological perspective? —Manasi Patwa, San Jose

EK: Stanford definitely wants you to do that, and I can’t speak specifically to any program, but a lot of majors let you [combine the two perspectives], such as Science, Technology and Society (STS) and Symbolic Systems.

KB: I think if someone is interested in technology, [he or she] should consider minoring or double majoring in the humanities. When you are just focused on tech things, you don’t have a broad perspective of the world. Taking humanities classes lets you learn more about how the world functions and what people are thinking.

ET: Become an expert in one of the two fields while keeping up with the other, and it will carry over in invaluable ways. For example, continue exercising your writing skills while delving into biology research or engineering projects. Later on, you’ll have amazing experiences from these activities that will give you a unique perspective to write from.

EL: It’s funny because I’m double-majoring in both fuzzy and techie fields, and I have absolutely no idea how to combine them. There are majors that combine them (CS+X and MST [Music, Science and Technology], for example), but I’d rather appreciate the two fields for how different they are.

 

And the final question, from Lomita: Why should I choose Stanford?

SR: In my time at Stanford, I have had many moments of complete awe and pride from the work of my peers. For example, a theater group recently put on a production of “Hairspray.” There were a few exhilarating moments when I could sense that everyone in the audience was in complete agreement about how talented the performers were and how enormous the production was. Your peers at Stanford will be thoughtful, creative, talented and human. And no matter what you want to do, Stanford will have a world-class department for it.

EK: Because you’ll get great opportunities at Stanford that you would never get anywhere else.

KB: First of all, Stanford has an amazing [program] for almost any major. Second, people are very, very open-minded, and people are always willing to help you, especially professors. The curriculum isn’t too different than most universities, but the way it’s taught here is different. That being said, I could add the prestige the Stanford education gives you, especially back in my home country, Cameroon.

ET: There are too many reasons. The first few that come to mind are: humble students who are willing to collaborate with and help each other learn, a vast amount of resources and funding to engage in research or kickstart a project into a company, and beautiful weather.

EL: Come here because it’s great! You’ll meet some of the world’s most impressive, humble and fascinating young adults here. At Stanford, you’ll make awesome friends, and they’ll be sure to give you an experience of a lifetime.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Remembering Larry https://stanforddaily.com/2015/04/24/remembering-larry/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/04/24/remembering-larry/#respond Fri, 24 Apr 2015 22:32:33 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1099684 Larry Zaroff came into my life on a Thursday afternoon, the first week of my freshman year at Stanford. I walked into Larry’s class, “Becoming a Doctor: Readings from Medical School, Medical Training, Medical Practice,” apprehensive but excited. I had been pre-med ever since I could remember, but the year before, I had gone through […]

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Larry Zaroff came into my life on a Thursday afternoon, the first week of my freshman year at Stanford. I walked into Larry’s class, “Becoming a Doctor: Readings from Medical School, Medical Training, Medical Practice,” apprehensive but excited. I had been pre-med ever since I could remember, but the year before, I had gone through some serious soul-searching (or as serious as it could be for a 17-year-old), questioning my ability to become a good doctor or even get to medical school.

(Courtesy of the Stanford Humanities Center)
(Courtesy of the Stanford Humanities Center)

But here was Larry, with his ever-present green Elmo cap, who told us that it was ok to question ourselves, that we had potential. Larry, who made us stand up in front of the class, and pushed us to answer enigmas like, “What is the meaning of life?” and “What makes a good doctor?” Larry, who invited a panel of successful women doctors to attend a class, acknowledging the unique obstacles faced by women in medicine. And most of all, Larry, who taught us the importance of empathy, of doctor-patient relationships, of being attuned to our mental health — skills essential to becoming a good doctor, but also to becoming a good person.

It was the only class I ever had where we were not allowed to take notes, but I believe that I have never learned so much about myself and about medicine anywhere else.

My favorite part about the class, however, was that Larry asked for three papers, and he insisted that they all be fictional. I had dreamt of becoming a novelist for as long as I had dreamt of becoming a doctor. But throughout my academic experience, creative writing had largely been traded for pragmatic persuasive essays or literary analyses, and I never had time to write for fun. Larry gave me the opportunity to write for myself, once again, and I was amazed when he actually liked the poetry and short stories I turned in. I admired Larry as a writer, particularly his stint as a New York Times columnist, and his praise of my writing validated the hopes I had always carried.

I only met with Larry one-on-one once, because he required that all of his students have a short private meeting with him within the first few weeks of class. I met him in his office and we talked about our favorite books. He asked me how I was doing, what classes I was taking. I told him about chemistry, and he cringed sympathetically, reflecting, I supposed, on decades worth of pre-med students complaining to him about chemistry. My first college exam and first Chem 31A midterm was the next week, and I told him how nervous I was. He reassured me, “Plenty of my students have struggled with chemistry and become great doctors. There is no correlation.” Before I left, he asked me to email him my exam results.

I got my results back the next Friday, astounded at the A- I had managed to pull. I emailed Larry, and he wrote back in his familiar, punctuation-less, short syntax: “I am proud of you. Don’t let up in chem.”

I nearly cried.

I was always told that Stanford would be this amazing place, where I would make strong faculty-student bonds and lasting relationships. No one ever told me about the freshman angst of struggling to keep up in college-level classes and awkward attempts at making friends. But every Thursday, I could count on Larry asking questions that were important to me and teaching me about medicine, ethics and the humanities — everything that I always wanted to learn. In Larry, I found a mentor and a teacher who truly cared about me, when I had never felt so alone in my life.

This quarter, I am in another of Larry’s classes, “Novels and Theater of Illness.” I was supposed to meet with him for another required meeting the day after I received news of his passing. I wish that I had met with him beyond the required meetings; there are too many questions I have left unasked.

While writing this post, I Googled Larry, hoping to know more about him, realizing belatedly that I didn’t know enough. The results were amazing. From an artist’s blog to his New York Times articles, Larry has left his permanent mark on the Internet. Everywhere, I came across stories and poems that his past students wrote for his class, as well as achievements and awards garnered with thanks to Larry.

Compared to the many students that Larry has taught over the years, I didn’t know him for very long. But I do know that Larry has left an indelible mark on me and on the world, and I was so, so lucky that he accepted me into his Introductory Seminar class last fall. His complete faith in my potential, as both a doctor and a writer, pushed me to reach for my full potential. I would not be writing for Lomita if not for him.

During our class last fall, we spent a day, during our unit on “Death and Dying,” discussing how to lead good lives. At Stanford, it is easy to forget, amidst the palm trees and sunshine, that the real world awaits. The “bubble” is very real. Larry’s passing, and the amazing life he led, reminded me to not get lost in 20-unit quarters and the fear of not becoming “successful.” Rather, the ultimate goal should always be to lead good lives, leaving positive legacies and kindness in our paths.

I am certain that Larry led a good life, and I am so grateful and lucky to have had his presence in mine.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu

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