get your deals here!

So I'm a huge fan of saving money.  I am alll for coupons, sales, and haggling for a good deal.

Free SVA Behance Portfolio Website!

             We are all going to school with hopes of landing a job in some sort of creative line of work.  As the time to look for jobs inevitably draws closer, it is important to do everything that you can to get your work seen by as many people as possible.  SVA offers an amazing free way to get your work seen by Art and Creative Directors online.  Many people either fail to take advantage of or just don’t know about SVA’s online portfolio services.  Our school has partnered with Behance.com to offer SVA students an easy to use portfolio sharing website for free. All you need is your SVA username and password to create your own personal Behance portfolio site.  In 2011 Behance.com won a Webby Award for its new innovative portfolio website interface, so its safe to say that this site has proven itself.  Head on over to http://portfolios.sva.edu and click the “Signup” button for unlimited access not only to SVA portfolios but creative’s all over the world!  Make sure to take advantage of this free service that our school offers, in addition to showing your work to the masses, you can get inspiration from millions of creative people.

Alice Loves Youtube

So if you have been on the 5th floor and read the bulletin you would probably know that I like to watch random videos on youtube. My choice in videos vary depending on the mood.  I will share a few:

1. Stress reliever video:  fun or cute cat/baby movies:

2.  When you get bored: Are you familiar with "Virtual Barbershop?" It has been around for many years, but I will post it here for those who haven't tried this one out (you need a headphone or earphone)

3. Jimmy Kimmel's "I told my Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy" (I find 1:27-1:29 the most hilarious!)

                   

4. good for insomnia (it is educational but it is educational)
                                         

5. Susan Boyle- Britain's Got Talent 2009 ( makes me cry no matter how many times I watch it)



6. Class of 99, Wear Sunscreen (touching, inspirational, and nostalgic)



Enjoy~! I will continue to post some more youtube movie clips later on in the blog :))

That's a lot of pasta!

Finals are here and it is crazy stressful for everyone! To ease the pain and make sure that you guys are keeping up with eating, we decided to throw a Pasta Party! RA's Brent, Becca, Irving and I cooked up a storm of pasta, garlic bread, salad and more! Everyone managed to have second and third helpings and we raised almost $40 for the Ludlow Charity which is awesome!

Good luck with Finals everyone and happy holidays!

Midnight Pancake!!

           So the Midnight pancake was a huge success!!! We made regular and chocolate chip pancakes and they turned out to be golden and yummy (thanks to our RHD Nicole Shillings who showed us a simple and wonderful demo on how to flip pancakes at the right time). Thank you everyone for coming and making contribution to the Fugees Family!!! 

Post Crossing

 

 

 

 One day while hanging with some of my gal pals and I mentioned that I never get mail. No one sends postcards or letters. That's when I heard about something called 'Post Crossing'.

 

 

 

 

What is Post Crossing?

It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world.

How does it work?

Go to Post Crossing.

1. Request an address and a Post ID
2. Mail the postcard to that address
3. Receive a postcard from another postcrosser!
4. Register the Postcard ID you have received
5. Go to number 1 to receive more postcards!

Testitonimal

“I love Postcrossing because there is such a warm fuzzy feeling you get when you open your post box to find a postcard that someone has taken the time to share a little piece of their life with you, from somewhere on this big beautiful world. You get to meet new people from all walks of life. You get to travel everywhere without actually going. You get to experience things that you couldn't even imagine if you weren't a part of Postcrossing.”

Hillary,Student, 19, Canada

Memos from Nicole: Winter Break

Memo: Winter Break Reminders

Dear Ludlodians,

It may be hard to imagine, since you're all crazed with finals and it feels like it will never end, but Winter Break is upon us!!  YAY!  I just wanted to give you a few reminders before you start your winter hibernation (literally, I know you're all just going to sleep for 3 weeks):

If you are leaving for break, please be sure to do the following:

• Throw away any perishable food items that may spoil. 
• Clean out your fridge.
• Throw away all of your trash.
• Turn your heater onto low.
• Turn off your lights.
• Close your window.

If you are staying:

• The Ludlow Residence is open during winter break.
• My office will be closed starting Thursday, December 20 - January 2.  
• Any extended overnight guest forms that need my approval must be submitted to me by Wednesday, December 19, at 3 pm. 
• RA's will be available over break should you need assistance.  Security can contact them for you. 
• Please click here and let us know you're staying!  

I hope you all have a wonderful break and I'm sure you all made A's on your finals.  

Best wishes,
Nicole Shillings
Ludlow Residence Hall Director

A Philosphy of Choice.

Freshman year, I had an amazing English teacher named George Moore (Whom you all should take).
The next year, I demanded that I take another one of is classes, and I found myself in his French Existentialism class. At the time of signing up, I knew little about this philosphy, save for it's connection to Camus (Whose writing I adore).

Upon taking the class, I was immersed in the most comprehensively correct philosphy I have come across so far. Now, let me make this clear, no single philosophy contains all the answers to lifes tribulations and termoil. No. BUT. Existentializm offers the most concise and useful toolkit for coping with guilt, suffering, and the monotony of life.

Albert Camus, Handsome Devil.

In a nutshell, the philosophy can be described as "Everything that happend to you, today, is ultimately your fault because you woke up and chose not to kill your self today."

This may seem like an incredibly grim and even morbid phrase. But in the eyes of Jean Paul Sartre's Existentialism, it's the most profoundly terrifying, yet empowering, reality.

The cornerstone of Existentialism is choice. You personally choose everything except your facticity (where you were born, your race, age, ect) but outside of that, how you react to anything is always your choice.

The weight of these choices is called Existential Angst. It manifests, theoretically, as the feeling you get when you are standing at the edge of a tall building or ledge and you feel as though your body wants to throw itself off the edge. Some call this Vertigo, Sartre calls it Existential Angst. Death represents a releif from these constant choices, BUT, it is the human strength and the human spirit that we choose to contine on, day by day, year by year.

Personally coming from a Judeo-Christian backround, I found Existentialism to be incredibly empowering. No longer was my life bound by some heavenly "plan" or by the will of some invisible god or bearded hippie. It was governed by me and me alone, every damn second of it was mine. And I found that refreshing.

Another aspect of Existentialism is the Pre-refelective conciousness. This is, in short terms, pure focus and pure envolvement with the world. Reflective conciousness is to watch oneself while doing something, instead of actually participating. Have you ever tried to hit a baseball but been so worried that you would miss that you overthough the process of hitting the ball to the point where you could not? That is reflective conciousness at work.

I found this profoundly relevant for my artistic work. When I consciously decided to stop worrying about the end result, weather or not it would be good, weather or not this particular line would be of quality, and started focusing simply on my subject matter, my framing, or just capturing the ephermal moment on film, my work improved.

Here are some links for those who wish to explore further;


Jean Paul Sartre, author of Being and Nothingness

Albert Camus, author of The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphus, and The Plague.

Lastly, here are some quotes, I know how y'all love quotes:

Generosity is nothing else than a craze to possess. All which I abandon, all which I give, I enjoy in a higher manner through the fact that I give it away. To give is to enjoy possessively the object which one gives.

-Jean-Paul Sartre

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

-Albert Camus

 Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

-Jean-Paul Sartre

Alas, after a certain age every man is responsible for his face.

-Albert Camus 

Ludlow Resident Spotlight: Bryan Vargas

Bryan Vargas

Sophomore, Graphic Design/Advertising
3rd Floor Resident

What three frivolous things would you do, if you hit the lottery?
1. Pay for School.
2. Buy a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG.
3. Buy an apartment in the city.

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

I would have Telekinesis, I mean you'd be able to control and manipulate objects. Basically a Jean Grey!

What is the closest red item to you?

The little sweater on my stuffed moose, he's so cute.

What song summarizes your life?
"Primadonna" by Marina and the Diamonds from her album "Primadonna". This is my favorite line from it "Living life like I'm in a dream."

If you could have a dinner party and invite a famous person (living or dead) who would it be and why?

Andy Warhol, of course. The way he portrayed objects and people was just is so fascinating to me. I feel like I was born in the wrong era, the way Pop Art developed during 60's was just pure fucking genius.

What is one thing you cannot live without and why? 

My sunglasses, I can not go anywhere without them. I wear them even though it's raining, I like looking mysterious behind them.

If you had to eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

French Fries from Souvlaki Gr on Stanton Street, I'd DIE for them.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Spending money, period.

What’s the best thing about living in the Ludlow Residence?

The friends and memories I've made here.

"Cookin' Mad Eggs"

On November 28th Ludlow residents joined RA Brent in the Ludlow Kitchen for "All Hail The Mighty Egg". This event focused on preparing different styles of eggs, an inexpensive food that can be prepared in a variety of ways. People that attended got the see the successful preparation of omelets, how to separate egg whites to cook egg white omelets, cheesy eggs, over easy, fried, and my personal favorite “Birds Nests”. Aside from cooking food everyone got the chance to take a break from their work and to hang out in the kitchen with each other!

Wednesday Card Game Night

                                            WEDNESDAY CARD GAME NIGHT 

       So we had a final round of Wednesday Card Game Night on Wednesday November 28th. We decided to play UNO as a remembrance of our first Card Game Night where we played UNO! It was a good, fun, and competitive game. We were vicious with cards, but nice and friendly with words :))
Thank you guys for coming to the event.

First Friday Film and Food: A Fish Called Wanda

For November's First Friday Film and Food RA Bethany and several Ludlow residents, gathered the usual suspects for a screening of the off-beat, 80's heist comedy A Fish Called Wanda. Owing to diamond thief Otto's stupidity (which should not be mentioned as it is an insult to stupid people) we were reminded that "Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself,' and the London Underground is not a political movement." No fish were harmed in the viewing of this film, apart from the numerous goldfish crackers on the menu. Cupcakes and other baked goods, but thankfully not French fries, made surprise appearances as well.

In case you missed it here are a few choice scenes to get you up to speed:
Apology
Vulgarian
Do you speak Italian?

With the semester drawing to a close, the final installment of the First Friday Film and Food series will be Real Genius. Join us in the Community Room at 8:00 PM for LOTS of popcorn.

Macy's Balloon Inflation 2012!!

Huge balloons + crowds = Macy's Balloon Inflation Event.

 We got there around 5:00PM and there were already so many people even though the event does not end until 10:00 PM.

If you want to see the balloons actually being inflated, I suggest you go there before 4:00 PM because they were pretty much all blown up by the time we got there. It was fun and exciting to get a preview of the Thanksgiving parade. Just for the heads up, if  you are planning to go there next year, you would probably want to get there way earlier than 5:00 PM if you don't want to fight the crowd.

Toy Tokyo

Recently I have been obsessed with an awesome little store called Toy Tokyo, it is full of toys and collectibles that are all unique and wildly imaginative.

No Shave November Winners!

After a Month of no Shaving, out contestants Tristan Kelley, Ryan Fraiser, Samm Dove and Bryan Vargas competed for Ludlow's 2012 best Beard! November was a long month, from Hurricane Sandy to Thanksgiving & then Black Friday. At first Im sure many people took part in the event but as the month went on some just threw in the towel. To be honest I kinda gave up too haha. After Black Friday I just gave up. So I can relate to those who didn't show up. Our Winners, Tristan, Ryan, and the lovely Samm all won Movie tickets, in the end everyone was a winner. Good Job guys!

Union Square Holiday Market

 The holiday shopping season officially begins with the opening of the popular Union Square Holiday Market, operated by Urban Space Management, open annually between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.  Be sure to stop by for a variety of unique items that would make perfect holiday gifts such as handcrafted jewelry, fine art, clothes, handmade ornaments and toys for kids of all ages.

I went last year and found something for a few family members. It was a lot of fun and festive. Stop by the apple cider booth and walk around looking at the art, items, and holiday decorations. Tis the season of giving, one of my favorite things to do. 

Walk on up to Union Square and check it out!

RA on the Record: Bethany Altschwager

Ludlow is one very diverse community. We have students from different colleges, interns and more. Within that we don't only have undergrad students but we actually have a whole floor dedicated to graduate students. The leader of that pack is Bethany and she sure knows a thing or two about student life. Not only has she already gone through it once as an undergrad but she then worked in a private high school for four years dealing with student drama over and over. Now she's on the Art Therapy course and is loving it. When she isn't hiking or plunging into freezing rivers, you can find her watching cult classics and eating burgers (vegetarian of course!).

Adam: Hi Bethany

Bethany: Hi Adam

A: How're you today?

B: I'm doing well and yourself?

A: I'm pretty good. So you've become known at Ludlow as the 'film library'.

B: That's very true.

A: What would you say is your all time favourite movie?

B: My all time favourite movie or all time favourite 'good' movie?

A: Let's do both.

B: Favourite movie of all time is the Rocky Horror Picture Show and my favourite good movie is Casablanca

A: Have you been to one of those dress up Rocky Horror Picture Shows?

B: I've been many times including with the Ludlowians last month. I've actually been in one of them as a tranny. It basically meant running around in my underwear and dancing and singing.

A: So how does it feel being the Grad RA?

B: Well there's just the general weirdness of being in a dorm after not living in one in awhile. It's also weird being the only Grad RA. Remember when the Head of Student Affairs asked if there were any and I was the only one who raised my hand? I felt a little singled out there but I really like my floor and the other grad students are great.

A: What's your funniest story from undergrad?

B: My roommate was from Florida so when she came to Sarah Lawrence, she hadn't experience snow before. The first time it properly snowed I took her sledding and we ended up building a snow woman. She had a large butt and big breast and we used skittles for her 'parts'. It was really funny but the next day we went back and someone had destroyed her which was sad.

A: What was she called?

B: I think she was called Snowbunny after the playboy bunnies.

A: Would you rather be a playboy bunny or the president of the US?

B: I would rather be the president. The Hugh Hefner thing doesn't appeal to me.

A: Even though he's really rich?

B: No, just doesn't appeal to me.

A: Well what can the Ludlowians look forward to from you?

B: Clearly the films. If they're interested in exploring the vegetarian 'thing' or just general how to's I'm here. I'm also just willing to listen and help anyone out.

A: Well we should go get some ice-cream !

B: We should.

A: Thanks Bethany!

Ludlow Resident Spotlight: Lovely Dard

Lovely Dard

Freshman, Animation
19th Floor Resident

What three frivolous things would you do, if you hit the lottery?
I would buy a house, a lot of bbq chicken wings and probably save the rest in the bank. I know. Not exciting at all .. but times is hard out here ..

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

Super strength ! That would make my tiny self even more scary >:D

What is the closest red item to you?

I think it was a t shirt.

What song summarizes your life?
Damn, that's a hard one. Well ... You gotta get back to me on that one

If you could have a dinner party and invite a famous person (living or dead) who would it be and why?

Does it have to be one person ? Oh well I don't care, I'm gonna invite more than one ! I would invite my future husband, Pharrell Williams, because we're gonna get married. Robin Williams & Adam Sandler so they could make me laugh. ( I like to laugh while I eat. I know, I'm dangerous.) Uhhh, The Strokes, Kanye, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys. Would would have one big ass sing along as we eat barbecue chicken.

What is one thing you cannot live without and why? 

I cant live without my friends. I cannot stop emphasizing about how important they are to my life. I always tell them that they're essential to my existence because they were always the one's who were there through my struggles. They would cry with me and then make me laugh right after like something depressing. They also raised me in a way and taught me most of the things I know in life.

If you had to eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

BARBEQUE CHICKEN WINGSSS AND MACCC AND CHEEEEEESEEEEE. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE that combination. I know I will never get tired of it yo. NEVER.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Wait, what? I'm too young for this!

What’s the best thing about living in the Ludlow Residence?

The best thing about living in Ludlow is meeting new people and the viewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I've met so many cool people. My RA is the best and Did I mention the view ? All you other people not living in Ludlow should be jealous. Yes. That's right. GET MAD.

Sex and the City Round 3

This final week of Sex and the City had a great assortment of condoms and lube. Thanks to the awesome Malik Warlick, all of us were able to watch episodes again. We watched a few from season 6, probably the best season in my opinion. It's been fun seeing a lot of you guys every month for this event! Next semester we may continue these nights, or do something new. I'll keep ya posted!

Egg Bun in 1 minute

Here is a simple recipe for making what I call "an egg bun" All you need is a small bread roll or bun (Trader's Joe) and an egg (also from Trader's Joe).

1. Take the mini bun and carve out the inside. The hole should be big enough to allow egg yolk and white to sit.

2. Puncture the yolk with a fork or knife (this is to ensure that the egg does not "pop" while being microwaved).

3. Sprinkle with little salt and pepper.

4. Put it in a microwave for a min (the time can be vary depending on your taste so feel free to do a little experiment).

4. ENJOY!

On a side note, you can also put cheddar cheese on top and let it melt for extra yummy factor.

My Plastic Sun

painting of the band-mates

My Plastic Sun is a great local band from my home-town, Rochester, NY. My boyfriend is the lead guitarist in the band, making them have an awesome sound (I may be biased...). If you're interested in guitar at all, you will love to watch this band play. Sam plays guitar "overhand", with his hand over the fret instead of under. He picked up guitar after having broken his forearm and taught himself to play this unique way. Johnny Cummings, the lead singer of the band, is also an incredible musician. He sings, writes his own music, plays piano, guitar, and ukelele. The video I posted below is a music video that a couple big-deal directors from VH1 filmed and produced for free in support of the band. The concept of the video is a little cheesy, but the quality is pretty great considering this is a band from a small town that hasn't "made it" yet. Come see them live Wednesday, November 28th at 9:00pm at Arlene's Grocery! Arlene's is literally right down the street, on Stanton (in between Ludlow and Orchard). I'll be posting about the show on the facebook, so keep a look out!

Cheerios Challenge

This past Tuesday, many ludlownians came to the basement to taste test different brands of cheerios and grab a grocery price-compare list. The whole point of this event was to give you guys a useful resource for discovering where you can shop smart (and I don't mean literally at shop smart haha). The little tast-test conducted was to point out that there is not a big enough difference between a brand name and an off brand, to spend way more money on something. The brand name Cheerios I provided at the event cost $6 at Duane Reade, and the Cheerios from Trader Joes cost only$2.50! A little consideration for where you're shopping can go a long way. Below is a picture of the grocery compare list I handed out to everyone. If you didn't make it, and would like a list, I would be happy to print you out one! Just message me, or find me on the 17th floor :) 

Sundae Sundays Round Three!

On Sunday November 11th residents of Ludlow joined RA Brent in the community room for round three of Sundae Sundays! Thank you so much to all the people that came out to support our charitable organization the Fugees Family. We were able to raise $42.00 thanks to all you cool people out there that showed up to support the cause. While raising money for a good cause, we managed to eat three FULL gallons of ice cream; it is for both of these reasons that I am proud to live in Ludlow.

Ludlow Resident Spotlight: Derrell Francis

Derrell Francis

Junior, Film major

20th Floor Resident

What three frivolous things would you do, if you hit the lottery?
Sky gliding through new york city...AT NIGHT

Buy a home in several places in the world!
Attempt to discover Atlantis

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

Water Bending, why? Because I am the hero this city deserves, but doesn't need right now

What is the closest red item to you?

A Coke Can. But if we are talking emotional [items], i have a necklace I've worn for many years without taking it off.

What song summarizes your life?
"Waiting In Vain" by Bob Marley, on the Legend album. At least for the majority of my life I was always quite the romantic, with very little success. This song is what i always played when someone was playing games with me. Bob always knew how to keep my spirits up.

If you could have a dinner party and invite a famous person (living or dead) who would it be and why?

Bob Marley...for someone that i know his life inside and out, i feel it would be good closure to meet the man and play some dominoes.

What is one thing you cannot live without and why? 

Music. My grandmother once said music is the band-aid to a broken heart and the coal for the burning soul.

If you had to eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Mangoes, because I grew up picking them out of trees, and i will die TRYING to pick them out of trees.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Eating Spam.

What’s the best thing about living in the Ludlow Residence?

I can honestly say, this is the first housing I've been in where I'm not the only resident with a strong sense of community.

Stitch 'n Bitch #3

Paris Makes cute Hats

 Stitch 'n Bitch continues to be a fun interactive and relaxing distraction from the calamity that school is slowly becoming as the semester draws to an end. 

Several regulators joined RA Corie in the tradition that has become a fun new hobby along with 3 new faces!

Corie brought her friend, a published crochet pattern/ doll designer to come hang with this group this past week.

Here is a new book her pattern is in.

Remember Stitch 'n Bitch meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month. Join us this December! 

Jess makes Friendship Bracelets

Sarah the Crochet Master

Halloween Door Decoration Contest

 I'd like to thank those of you who participated in the Halloween door decoration contest that occurred during the month of October. 

Unfortunately, as you all know, our spooky holiday was cut abruptly due to Hurricane Sandy which people are still suffering from. 

The contest was ended with no winners.

Some of the doors were so fun though, I decided they should get a place in this blog. The spirit doesn't have to stop here. Halloween may be over and past, but Christmas is right around the corner. I'd love to see some christmas decorations go up this year. It's would make our dorm very festive and cheerful.

 Let's go all out! I'll go around and take pictures of the doors again so have fun with it!

What if Sandy Had an iPod?

Now that the lights and power are back on, we've gotten a hot shower, and we're getting back into our normal routines we have some distance to reflect on our experiences. Whether you stayed in the residence hall with a 20th floor walk-up, flashlights, MacGyvered charging stations, and all the bagels and cold pizza you could stomach, or headed for higher ground by any means possible, the storm touched us all. With all that in mind, have any of you wondered what songs would be on Sandy's iPod? Here is a sampling of what might be on one of her playlists.

1. Stormy Weather- Ella Fitzgerald
2. Wild is the Wind- Cat Power
3. It's the End of the World- R.E.M.
4. Storm Coming- Gnarls Barkley
5. Weatherman- Dead Sara
6. Hurricane- Bush
7. It's Raining Men- The Weather Girls
8. Lights Out- Santigold
9. In the Dark- Violent Femmes
10. No Rain- Blind Melon
11. No Sleep Til Brooklyn- Beastie Boys
12. Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles
13. Train Under Water- Bright Eyes
14. No Woman No Cry- The Fugees

SVA Kickball!

On Sunday October 21st residents from Ludlow joined RA Mike and RA Brent to participate in the First Annual SVA Kickball Game. People from each Residence Hall of SVA met at field three in the East River Park to compete in a fun loving, trash talking, giant game of Kickball. Everyone who attended all got the chance to meet people from other buildings, get muddy on the field, and take awesome group pictures. Although we ended up merging with other Res-halls to create two large teams, I must say the star players within the game were all people who live at Ludlow, way to represent the building everyone! If you missed out on the fun.... Check it out!
2012 SVA First Annual Kickball Classic from Derrell Francis on Vimeo.
Video and other awesomeness by: Derrell Francis (aka the wizard of the penthouse suites)

The Power of Writing Things Down

Last year, i was hooked on online shopping. The process of clicking and putting stuff in the cart and checking them out in a virtual world on internet just sitting in front of computer was an exhilarating experience. Little did I know that in few months down the road, I will get myself in a serious financial issues. 

When I realized I spent probably a little more than twice amount of money than my average spending, I freaked out. I took part time job on campus and sold my books. I did everything but spend less!!!  The thing is, it was hard to cut back once I got crazy with spending. It was not like I got into  expensive designer brands, they were just little things here and there; take out food because I didn't  feel like cooking, books I bought and never read, food I bought and threw out eventually, clothes and shoes I bought not out of necessity but just because they are pretty and I want them.

This year i pledged myself not to spend recklessly. I bought a microwavable grill and rice cooker so I can cook my food instead of doing take outs or eating out everyday.  I deleted online shopping websites off of my bookmark. I also created a monthly budget, and most importantly, I started writing an account book.

At first I didn't expect much from writing one, but now I am glad I had made such a decision. Yes, keeping an account book does help you save money, a lot. First of all, it forces you to monitor and re-evaluate your spending history on a daily basis. I remember my surprises at discovering how much more I  spent a day than I actually had imagined. Secondly, it really does show little things add up. It is just a $2.00 coffee, $5 cab money, $10 lunch take out, $15 book purchase, and $1 muffin and look what they add up to $33!!!

Now, I am not saying we should not be taking a cab or should not be drinking coffees or buying books to save money. My point is that the awareness of little things add up  prevents one from making multiple unimportant, unplanned and insignificant purchases, thereby saving a big money for a smart investment or good quality time in near future (i.e.adding RAM space to your lap top, fixing your computer, getting good art brushes, getting good quality printer, treating your family to a nice restaurant etc,...)

I must admit I still make mistakes here and there, like +$20 purchase on bunch of patterned papers out of whim... but comparing me now to another version of me last year, this has been a big improvement. I probably have lesser stuff than last year, but I feel much more secured and happy. 

Ludlow Resident Spotlight: Zarah Botzer

Zarah Botzer

Freshman, Film & Video major
18th Floor Resident

What three frivolous things would you do, if you hit the lottery?

1. I would buy an owl!2. I would obtain a ridiculous amount of movie passes.
3. I would travel the world.
(But first, I'd donate to charities and pay off tuition fees and hopefully not lose any of my morals.)

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

It would be cool to turn back time to change the effect of an outcome and create different possibilities of different scenarios. I've also always liked the idea of invisibility to blend into the background. Or if I could just have any of the abilities from the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, that would be rad too.

What is the closest red item to you?

Besides all of the blood inside me, the closest red item to me is Ariel's bright red hair from my Little Mermaid poster.

What song summarizes your life?It's difficult to choose a single song to summarize my life because there are so many meaningful ones. But I feel like one song that's always seemed to be relevant to me in some way is "Even If It Kills Me" by Motion City Soundtrack from the album "Even If It Kills Me".

If you could have a dinner party and invite a famous person (living or dead) who would it be and why?

I'd invite Kurt Cobain because I'd want to have a deep conversation with him. Or I'd just invite someone that I admire from the film industry to learn all that I can from them. Or I'd invite Batman.

What is one thing you cannot live without and why? 

I cannot live without my inner peace because without it, I'd have have difficulty being happy and facing changes.

If you had to eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I'd eat MAC AND CHEESE! I honestly don't think I'd ever get sick of it. And if I did somehow, I could mix it up a little...like add toppings or choose other types of cheese.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I guiltily take pleasure in pulling all-nighters.

What’s the best thing about living in the Ludlow Residence?

The Ludlow Residence is in such a fantastic area! The Lower East Side has a plethora of artsy and awesome venues and restaurants to check out. I like that Ludlow not only has SVA students, but people from other schools and internships as well. Having free metro cards is a plus too, of course.